The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics in cooperation with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine showed in a Parkinson mouse model that leg acupuncture led the brain regulated the autophagy pathway of dopaminergic neurons through non-dependent pathway mTOR, which restored the impaired autophagy level, cleared the accumulation of α- synaptic nuclear protein (α-synuclein) in the brain, and significantly improved the athletic ability of the animal model. Acupuncture in China has thousands of years of history, and through specific acupuncture points often achieves the prevention or cure of diseases.

CAS news release, January 27, 2016