Mouse model supports long-held belief that viruses can trigger Parkinson's disease

MedicalXpress | Jun 29, 2026

Scientists usually use animal models when studying Parkinson's disease because these models mimic the disease well. They are limited, however, because they require either gene modifications or the injection of toxicants, which may not accurately represent how the disease occurs in humans. But now, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a model that uses a nontoxic way to generate the symptoms of Parkinson's: infection with a virus called Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), a natural pathogen in mice.