Pill-rolling tremor of Parkinson Disease. Classical pill-rolling tremor of Parkinson Disease. By: Ian Goh … Continue reading →

Even hockey enforcers have to put in their gym time if they're going to stay on top of their game. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton has long since earned his spot among hockey's best pound-for-pound fighters. And from his regular training in the sweet science to his jiu-jitsu work with former UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian, Thornton says NHL fighters are looking for any edge to keep their skills sharp. Speaking over the telephone following a workout with noted Boston boxing trainer Tommy McInerney, Thornton explained his approach. "I've been taking boxing lessons since I was in the minor leagues," Thornton said. "Maybe the average fan doesn't think we do, but yeah, you've got to actually learn how to throw a punch if you're going to scrap in the NHL." Thornton's one of several mixed martial arts fans on the Bruins, whose ranks including forward Milan Lucic and defenseman Zdeno Chara, whose father, Zdenek, was an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler for Czechoslovakia in 1976. "UFC's kind of our get together night," Thornton said. "After the Stanley Cup we wanted to get the guys together in private and just hang out, so everyone came over to my … Continue reading →

Public release date: 11-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: David Weston d.weston@ucl.ac.uk 44-020-310-83844 University College London Researchers have discovered how genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease might play a key role in the death of brain cells, potentially paving the way for the development of more effective drug treatments. In the new study, published in Nature Neuroscience, a team of researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield showed how defects in the Parkinson's gene Fbxo7 cause problems with 'mitaphagy' an essential process through which our bodies are able to get rid of damaged cells. Mitochondria are the 'energy powerhouses' of cells. Their function is vital in nerve cells which require a great deal of energy in order to function and survive. Dysfunctional mitochondria are potentially very harmful and, normally, cells dispose of the damaged mitchondria by self-eating them, a process called mitophagy. Most of what we know about the mitophagy process comes from the study of the familial forms of Parkinson's, one of the most common diseases of the brain. Over the last three years, two genes associated with familial Parkinson's disease, PINK1 and Parkin, have been reported to play a role in … Continue reading →

Targeting poor housekeeping in cells could lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease, scientists believe. Research has linked the disease to a genetic defect that stops cells clearing out defective mitochondria, tiny metabolic generators that supply energy. Dysfunctional mitochondria are potentially very harmful. Cells normally dispose of them through a "hazardous waste" management system called mitophagy that causes the bean-like bodies to be digested and broken down. Scientists have now discovered a biological pathway that allows mutations in a gene called FBxo7 to interfere with mitophagy. In people with Parkinson's, this leads to a build-up of defective mitochondria that may result in the death of brain cells. The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, indicates that mitophagy might be the key to new treatment options for the disease. Dr Helene Plun-Favreau, one of the researchers from the University College London Institute of Neurology, said: "These findings suggest that treatment strategies that target mitophagy might be developed to benefit patients with Parkinson's disease in the future. " What makes the study so robust is the confirmation of defective mitophagy in a number of different Parkinson's models, including cells of patients who carry a mutation in the Fbxo7 gene." Co-author Dr … Continue reading →