Description: Observations on current research by Mary Ann Chapman, PhD
Since the early 1900s, Lewy bodies have been a primary distinguishing feature of Parkinson’s disease pathology. First described by Dr. Friederich Lewy in 1912, Lewy bodies appear under light microscopes as large sphere-shaped masses in neuronal cell bodies and are accompanied by spindle-like inclusions in neuronal process referred to as Lewy neurites. 1 In addition to aggregated alpha synuclein and ubiquitin , Lewy bodies contain at least 90 other molecules. 2
Lewy Bodies and Neurites
Lewy bodies (round brown/black structures) and Lewy neurites (brown/black strands) in the substantia nigra of a person with Parkinson’s disease. Image courtesy of Suraj Rajan / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/ by-sa/3.0)