BMP/SMAD Pathway and the Development of Dopamine Substantia Nigra Neurons

One of the major hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the loss of dopamine release in the striatum resulting from progressive loss of mesodiencephalic dopamine-producing (mdDA) neurons. In PD, the most vulnerable neurons are in the ventral tier of the substantia nigra (SN); mdDA neurons in th