Carbon monoxide (CO) produced during smoking has been proposed to be a protective factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD). In rats, increasing CO levels have recently been shown to induce hypoxic response-like pathway activation. Smoking thus may strengthen the hypoxia response systems by challenging the oxygen transport system, resulting in increased cellular resilience. Here we outline the overlaps between two novel promising approaches against PD, low-dose CO inhalations and hypoxia conditioning.
- Johannes Burtscher
- Daniel Debertin
- Peter Federolf
