Having received £190,000 from the ‘Parkinson’s Disease Society’ to carry out the research pertaining to the disease, Dundee University researchers will conduct a comprehensive study centering around a simple worm called ‘C. elegans,’ in their attempt to discover why Parkinson’s disease causes patient’s brain cells to die.

The researchers have already suggested that C. elegans worm could likely work out to be an effective research model for ascertaining why some people develop Parkinson’s disease; more so as worms share 50 percent of their genes with human beings, including those suffering from Parkinson’s.

About the proposed study, lead researcher Dr Anton Gartner told BBC: “Research leading to an eventual cure for Parkinson’s disease is a daunting task and requires a very broad and multidisciplinary approach.”

Expressing gratitude towards the Parkinson's society for “generously” supporting the research, Gartner added that worms will be used in the study as they are one of the simplest organisms with a nervous system; and the way their nerve cells communicate with one another is quite similar to the mechanism in humans.

With numerous genes, including the one called LRRK2, reportedly linked to the hereditary form of Parkinson's disease, the Dundee University research team will undertake the task of comprehending how mutations in this gene lead to the development of Parkinson's; and how the damage caused by these mutations can be controlled through drugs.