Hyderabad, Oct. 1 -- Infections caused by certain viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, are likely to cause neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, a new study by scientists at the Hyderabad-based CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has found.

An official release from the CCMB said the study, led by Dr Swasti Raychaudhuri's laboratory and published in the peer-reviewed journal "Cell Reports," provides new insights into how viral infections could promote the formation of abnormal protein clumps associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

The CCMB study focuses on alpha-synuclein, a protein that plays a central role in Parkinson's disease. Under certain conditions, thi...