Although many toxins and neurological insults that damage the basal ganglia and/or the substantia nigra result in neurological disorders which include parkinsonian features (see below), one toxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), appears to target relatively specifically those neurons that are involved in Parkinson’s disease. MPTP has been used to develop animal models for testing new therapies in the human disease. Investigations of the mechanisms of MPTP toxicity have also provided insights regarding the possible pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.
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