Is Parkinson's an autoimmune disease? More evidence emerges

Researchers in Germany have found further evidence to support the idea that Parkinson's could be an autoimmune disease. doctor with Parkinson's patient. Immune cells act differently depending on whether or not a person has Parkinson's. Using a stem cell model, they showed how immune cells attacked dopamine-producing cells derived from people with Parkinson's disease but not from people without it. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that supports many important brain functions. These include functions that deal with reward, emotions, pleasure, and movement control. In Parkinson's disease, the midbrain neurons, or brain cells, that make dopamine die off. But it is not clear what causes their death.