Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Findings point to potential targets for preventing or treating the neurodegenerative disease Newswise NEW YORK, NY (March 5, 2013) Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), with collaborators at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinsons disease damage brain cells. The mutations block an intracellular system that normally prevents a protein called alpha-synuclein from reaching toxic levels in dopamine-producing neurons. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing this digestive system, or preventing its disruption, may prove valuable in the prevention or treatment of Parkinsons. The study was published March 3 in the online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience. Parkinsons disease is characterized by the formation of Lewy bodies (which are largely composed of alpha-synuclein) in dopamine neurons. In 1997, scientists discovered that a mutation in alpha-synuclein can lead to Lewy body formation. But alpha-synuclein mutations occur in only a tiny percentage of Parkinsons patients, said co-lead author David L. Sulzer, PhD, professor of neurology, pharmacology, and psychiatry at CUMC. This meant that there must be something else that interfered with alpha-synuclein in people with Parkinsons. Dr. Sulzer and his colleagues suspected that a gene called … Continue reading →

Public release date: 5-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Lori J. Schroth ljschroth@partners.org 617-534-1604 Brigham and Women's Hospital Last month, the National Institutes of Health announced a new collaborative initiative that aims to accelerate the search for biomarkers -- changes in the body that can be used to predict, diagnose or monitor a disease -- in Parkinson's disease, in part by improving collaboration among researchers and helping patients get involved in clinical studies. As part of this program, launched by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the NIH, Clemens Scherzer, MD, a neurologist and researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), was awarded $2.6 million over five years to work on the development of biomarkers and facilitate NINDS-wide access to one of the largest data and biospecimens bank in the world for Parkinson's available at BWH. This NINIDS initiative is highlighted in an editorial in the March issue of Lancet Neurology. "There is a critical gap in the research that leads to lack of treatment for diseases like Parkinson's," said Scherzer. "Biomarkers are desperately needed to make clinical trials more efficient, less expensive and to monitor disease and treatment response. We are hopeful … Continue reading →

Roy and Lynn Roden bicycled up the snowy mountains in Washington and through a sandstorm in the New Mexican desert. They picked apples, marveled at seals and hummingbirds and grew closer with each mile. Most of all, they spread the word about Parkinsons disease, as they rode cross-country from Seattle back to Miami with their two dogs riding behind them in carriers. Samantha is their Labradoodle; Oliver, their English springer spaniel. If I can travel 5,000 miles on a bicycle, maybe it can motivate someone to get out of the house, and just take a bike ride or walk around the block and get some exercise, said Roy Roden, 55, of North Miami Beach, who has Parkinsons. Roden and his wife returned to Miami on Friday, completing their four-month PD Challenge. Looking trim, fit and tanned, they cycled to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine amid much fanfare, welcomed by Roys doctors, family, friends and other members of the Parkinsons disease community. Its an amazing trip, and its obviously going to increase awareness of Parkinsons disease and that there are treatment options that improve quality of life, said Dr. Jonathan Jagid, a neurosurgeon and associate professor at UM … Continue reading →

Public release date: 4-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi jason.bardi@ucsf.edu 415-502-6397 University of California - San Francisco A team of scientists and clinicians at UC San Francisco has discovered how to detect abnormal brain rhythms associated with Parkinson's by implanting electrodes within the brains of people with the disease. The work may lead to developing the next generation of brain stimulation devices to alleviate symptoms for people with the disease. Described this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the work sheds light on how Parkinson's disease affects the brain, and is the first time anyone has been able to measure a quantitative signal from the disease within the cerebral cortex the outermost layers of the brain that helps govern memory, physical movement and consciousness. "Normally the individual cells of the brain are functioning independently much of the time, working together only for specific tasks," said neurosurgeon Philip Starr, MD, PhD, a professor of neurological surgery at UCSF and senior author of the paper. But in Parkinson's disease, he said, many brain cells display "excessive synchronization," firing together inappropriately most of the time. "They are locked into playing the same … Continue reading →

NESS ZIONA, Israel, March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today the results of a Phase I safety and pharmacokinetic trial of ND0612, a novel drug formulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. ND0612 is a proprietary levodopa/carbidopa liquid formula administered continuously sub-cutaneously through a patch pump. It is designed to provide steady levodopa blood levels for the reduction of motor complications in Parkinson's disease. Results of this study support the continued development of ND0612 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In this double-blind, placebo controlled, dose-escalation trial in young, healthy volunteers, ND0612 was shown to be safe and tolerable in all of the tested doses. Furthermore, clinically meaningful levodopa concentrations were reached and, for the first time in man, steady state levodopa concentrations were maintained in a practical manner both day and night. The full results of this study will be presented at a future scientific meeting. "ND0612's success in its first phase I trial means that clinically significant steady state levodopa concentrations can, for the first time, be maintained, both day and night, through a conveniently administered drug. With ND0612, steady state levodopa levels, the elusive holy grail of Parkinson's levodopa therapy, should be available to all … Continue reading →

A flawed gene implicated in Parkinson's disease lets proteins build up dangerously in key brain cells, according to a study on Sunday that throws open new paths for tackling the tragic disorder. Parkinson's patients suffer from progressive stiffness, slowing of movement and problems in coordination resulting from the loss of nerve cells that make a muscle-controlling chemical, dopamine. A hallmark of the disease is the presence of so-called Lewy bodies, an accumulation of toxic proteins in these vital cells. But how the proteins -- the byproducts of normal cellular processes -- are allowed to pile up within the cell, eventually killing it, has remained unclear. Researchers at the Einstein College of Medicine in New York took a close look at a gene that controls a dogsbody molecule called leucine-rich repeat kinase-2, or LRRK2. A flawed version of the LRRK2 gene has already been fingered, along with other genetic culprits, as being among the inherited causes of Parkinson's. Delving into this association, the team discovered that a faulty LRRK2 gene turns out an abnormal protein that blocks the task of clearing out the junked-up cell. "Our study found that abnormal forms of LRRK2 protein disrupt an important garbage-disposal process in cells … Continue reading →

Scientists have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinsons disease damage brain cells. The discovery could also open up treatment possibilities for both familial Parkinsons and the more common form of Parkinsons that is not inherited, said researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Parkinsons disease is a gradually progressing disorder of the nervous system that causes stiffness or slowing of movement. The most common mutations responsible for the familial form of Parkinsons disease affect a gene called leucine-rich repeat kinase-2 (LRRK2). The mutations cause the LRRK2 gene to code for abnormal versions of the LRRK2 protein. But it hasnt been clear how LRRK2 mutations lead to the defining microscopic sign of Parkinsons: the formation of abnormal protein aggregates inside dopamine-producing nerve cells of the brain. Our study found that abnormal forms of LRRK2 protein disrupt an important garbage-disposal process in cells that normally digests and recycles unwanted proteins including one called alpha-synuclein the main component of those protein aggregates that gunk up nerve cells in Parkinsons patients, said study leader Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, Ph.D., professor of developmental and molecular biology, of anatomy and structural biology, and of medicine and the Robert and … Continue reading →

PARIS: A flawed gene implicated in Parkinson's disease lets proteins build up dangerously in key brain cells, according to a study on Sunday that throws open new paths for tackling the tragic disorder. Parkinson's patients suffer from progressive stiffness, slowing of movement and problems in coordination resulting from the loss of nerve cells that make a muscle-controlling chemical, dopamine. A hallmark of the disease is the presence of so-called Lewy bodies, an accumulation of toxic proteins in these vital cells. But how the proteins - the byproducts of normal cellular processes - are allowed to pile up within the cell, eventually killing it, has remained unclear. Researchers at the Einstein College of Medicine in New York took a close look at a gene that controls a dogsbody molecule called leucine-rich repeat kinase-2, or LRRK2. A flawed version of the LRRK2 gene has already been fingered, along with other genetic culprits, as being among the inherited causes of Parkinson's. Delving into this association, the team discovered that a faulty LRRK2 gene turns out an abnormal protein that blocks the task of clearing out the junked-up cell. "Our study found that abnormal forms of LRRK2 protein disrupt an important garbage-disposal process in … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Parkinson`s Disease: World Drug Market 2013-2023 http://www.reportlinker.com/p0663861/Parkinson`s-Disease-World-Drug-Market-2013-2023.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Drug_and_Medication Report Details Your guide to sales outlooks and R&D for treating Parkinson's Our new study investigates developments, also letting you assess projected sales data at overall world market, submarket and national level. There you investigate the most promising areas in that industry and market segment for neurodegenerative disorders. Forecasts and other analyses to help you stay ahead in knowledge In our report you find revenue forecasting to 2023, growth rates and market shares. Also, you see qualitative analysis (SWOT), business news, outlooks and developmental trends (R&D). You receive 63 tables, 38 charts and four research interviews. You can stay ahead in knowledge for treating that motor system disorder and benefit your research and analyses. Our work lets you discover industry dynamics and growth potentials. Make sure you know the latest trends, innovations and opportunities. The following sections show what you find in our study. More here: Parkinson's Disease: World Drug Market 2013-2023 … Continue reading →

A flawed gene implicated in Parkinson's disease lets proteins build up dangerously in key brain cells, according to a study on Sunday that throws open new paths for tackling the tragic disorder. Parkinson's patients suffer from progressive stiffness, slowing of movement and problems in coordination resulting from the loss of nerve cells that make a muscle-controlling chemical, dopamine. A hallmark of the disease is the presence of so-called Lewy bodies, an accumulation of toxic proteins in these vital cells. But how the proteins -- the byproducts of normal cellular processes -- are allowed to pile up within the cell, eventually killing it, has remained unclear. Researchers at the Einstein College of Medicine in New York took a close look at a gene that controls a dogsbody molecule called leucine-rich repeat kinase-2, or LRRK2. A flawed version of the LRRK2 gene has already been fingered, along with other genetic culprits, as being among the inherited causes of Parkinson's. Delving into this association, the team discovered that a faulty LRRK2 gene turns out an abnormal protein that blocks the task of clearing out the junked-up cell. "Our study found that abnormal forms of LRRK2 protein disrupt an important garbage-disposal process in cells … Continue reading →