Parkinson's, Pesticides and Genetics
Researchers at Emory University and the University of California in Los Angeles have established that the coincidence of a certain genetic predisposition and contact with pyrethroids (a certain type of pesticides) are the cause of a malfunction in the human immune system.
This malfunction leads to a chronic inflammation in the brain, which in turn can have the consequence of disrupting the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Pyrethroids are found in many commercially available pesticides. People with this genetic predisposition and who have come into intensive contact with pyrethroids have been shown in a study to have a 2.5 times greater risk of developing Parkinson’s.