By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new, preliminary treatment involving triple-gene therapy appears safe and effective in helping to control motor function in Parkinson's disease patients, according to new research. The therapy, called ProSavin, works by reprogramming brain cells to produce dopamine, the chemical essential for controlling movement, the researchers said. Lack of dopamine causes the tremors, limb stiffness and loss of balance that patients with the neurodegenerative disease suffer. "We demonstrated that we are able to safely administer genes into the brain of patients and make dopamine, the missing agent in Parkinson's patients," said researcher Kyriacos Mitrophanous, head of research at Oxford BioMedica in England, the company that developed the therapy and funded the study. ProSavin also helps to smooth out the peaks and valleys often produced by the drug levodopa, the current standard treatment, Mitrophanous said. The treatment uses a harmless virus to deliver three dopamine-making genes directly to the area of the brain that controls movement, he explained. These genes are able to convert non-dopamine-producing nerve cells into dopamine-producing cells. Although the study results are promising, the researchers suggest they should be "interpreted with caution" because the perceived benefits fall … Continue reading →

The fourth annual UNMC Skate-a-thon for Parkinsons wrapped up at noon Saturday, highlighted by four skaters making it through all 24 hours on the ice. The four skaters were Jim Hinrichs, Kevin Powers, John Seminara and Ronnie Stark. More than 500 skaters paid $10 to participate. Some friends and I go swing dancing Friday nights and a group of us came ice skating after swing dancing," said Dena Rennard. "We were there first and got here about midnight and we stayed through the skivvy skate. Its not as cold as last year so were still here, but were going to turn in pretty soon to get warmed up I think. Rennard said the temporary rink gave people a chance to help others and provided a fun, late night activity. What an effort, said Ted Wuebben, whose family started the skate-a-thon in 2008 by flooding their back yard. Its almost unimaginable what they did. They are all personal friends of our family and I couldnt be prouder of them for stepping up and making this happen. The event raised about $20,000 according to Jenny Knutson, daughter of Ted and Colleen Wuebben. This years skate-a-thon served as a memorial for Colleen, who … Continue reading →