U.S. and Chinese researchers said Tuesday they have identified a possible drug target for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases are marked by abnormal buildup in the brain of misfolded proteins called -synuclein, which disrupt and kill brain cells.

In a study published in the U.S. journal Science Signaling, the researchers found that misfolded -synuclein can activate immune cells' Toll-like receptors (TLR) 1 and 2 to trigger inflammation and that preventing this inflammation is the key to controlling neurological diseases.

The real job of TLR1/2 is to protect our bodies by getting rid of invading pathogens, said study author Yin Hang, professor of Tsinghua University, but misfolded -synuclein caused them to overreact, leading to long-term chronic inflammation which damages the brain.

The findings were based on the research of microglia, cells that act as the main form of immune defense in the central nervous system.

Yin's team, in collaboration with researchers at the Georgetown University, also showed that a new small molecule compound called CU-CPT22, which specifically targets TLR1/2, can significantly reduce this inflammation.

"The small molecule blocks the receptors and fine-tunes the system, balancing out the overprotective microglia and keeping inflammation at bay," Yin said.

They also found a hypertension drug that blocks TLR 2 has a similar therapeutic effect, raising the possibility of repurposing it for Parkinson's disease. (Xinhua)