Archive for April 2007
Parkinson’s cure possible in next decade: Expert
April 25, 2007 by mike.
Charles Enman
Citizen Special
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Given enough funding, a cure for Parkinson’s disease could be in the hands of physicians within 10 years, a noted researcher says.
“It would take money and researchers are in desperate times financially — but I’m fairly certain we could have a cure within a decade,” said Jackalina Van Kampen, who will deliver a lecture on her research Wednesday at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital.
How much money is needed? Ms. Van Kampen doesn’t have a precise figure, but says “likely not $100 million, but a few tens of millions of dollars.”
That would be good news for the 100,000 Canadians diagnosed with Parkinson’s, the degenerative disorder that causes tremors, rigidity and the gradual loss of mobility. The average age of onset is 60, but many are diagnosed earlier, including Canadian-born actor Michael J. Fox, who was only 30 when told he had the disease.
Ms. Van Kampen, a native of Charlottetown, is an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Her findings were published in July in a much-noticed article in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Parkinson’s is caused by the degeneration of neurons in a structure of the midbrain called the substantia nigra. Those neurons produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps the brain control movement.
By the time Parkinson’s is diagnosed, there is already extensive damage of those neurons, damage that physicians and researchers always assumed was irreversible.
Working with rats, Ms. Van Kampen has found ways of coaxing dormant neurons to take on the dopamine-producing role of the damaged neurons and to restore the brain’s control of movement.
Scientists have gradually been accepting that many structures in the brain can regenerate themselves. In the hippocampus, which helps create memories, generation of new neurons is part and parcel of the process of memory creation.
“But no one thought regeneration occurred in the substantia nigra,” Ms. Van Kampen says. “Five years ago, they called my idea ‘completely crazy’.”
Throughout the brain, there are undifferentiated cells called progenitor cells that, with the right stimulation, can transform themselves into more specific types of cells. Some of them are in the substantia nigra, and Ms. Van Kampen hoped to find a way to convince those cells to become dopamine neurons. Working with Parkinsonian rats, she found a drug that increased the number of dopamine neurons by 180 per cent.
Sophisticated brain scanning showed that those new dopamine neurons were working well. But the proof of the pudding was the behaviour of the rats: Their movements, which previously showed problems typical of Parkinson’s, were now almost fully restored to normal — what Ms. Van Kampen calls “a functional recovery.”
Rats aren’t people, and finding the equivalent way of coaxing progenitor cells in human brains to appropriately mutate is not a slam-dunk exercise, but Ms. Van Kampen feels sure the task is doable, given enough funding and perhaps a decade of hard research.
Equally important as generating cells to replace damaged neurons is the protection of neurons that are still intact. Ms. Van Kampen has found that ginseng, that most ancient of healing herbs, is very effective. When she treated rats with ginseng and then administered a toxin that would destroy cells in the substantia nigra, she found on post mortem examination that those cells were “almost completely protected.”
Finally, in a finding that will gratify mothers and gym teachers, she’s found that exercise reduces the severity of Parkinson’s.
She put some Parkinsonian rats, normally housed in shoe box-sized cages, into a much larger, three-level ferret cage that amounted to “a giant rat condo,” complete with running wheels and chewing blocks.
“We found that rats in this enriched environment recovered some neurons in the substantia nigra,” she says. “And I guess that speaks to the importance of keeping active, for everyone.”
She also believes that the work she’s doing will have application in treatment of other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Her main interest, though, is Parkinson’s. Her father developed the disease when she was in her early teens. When she was 14, the leader of a church group for girls asked her to write down her dream of her future. “And I wrote that I would cure Parkinson’s,” she says. “Family history surely set me on a path.”
Exercise may lower risk of Parkinson’s
April 25, 2007 by mike.
Regular exercise could be key to reducing your risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Harvard researchers studied nearly 150,000 people for 10 years and found those who exercised at least half an hour per day had a reduced risk of Parkinson’s.
The research will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in Boston, April 28 – May 5.
Harvard researchers say they aren’t completely sure it’s the exercise that lowers the risk. But they say considering all the other benefits of exercise, it can’t hurt
Dairy food linked with Parkinson’s disease in men
April 22, 2007 by mike.
A new study has confirmed a relationship between consuming large amounts of dairy products and an increase in the rate of Parkinson’s disease in men, but the reason for this relationship remains a puzzle. Researchers found that among more than 130,000 U.S. adults followed for 9 years, those who ate the largest amount of dairy foods had an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a disorder in which movement-regulating cells in the brain die or become impaired. There was a clear pattern seen among men, whose Parkinson’s risk increased in tandem with consumption of diary, particularly milk. The results were more ambiguous among women, however. The findings, which appear in the American Journal of Epidemiology, echo those of earlier studies that found a link between dairy consumption and Parkinson’s in men, but not women. For now, it’s not clear what effect, if any, dairy foods might have on women’s risk of the disease. Nor is it known why there is a relationship seen in men, lead study author Dr. Honglei Chen, a researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, told Reuters Health. Larger studies are needed to find out which dairy products might be responsible, and why, according to Chen. The findings are based on detailed dietary and lifestyle information collected from 57,689 men and 73,175 women who took part in a cancer prevention study. Over 9 years, 250 men and 138 women were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease Men with the highest levels of dairy consumption were 60 percent more likely to develop the disease than those who consumed the least amounts of dairy, the study found. Men in the highest-intake group consumed an average of 815 grams of dairy per day, which is roughly equivalent to three to four glasses of milk; those in the lowest-intake group consumed 78 grams of dairy per day, on average. Milk, rather than dairy products like yogurt and cheese, explained most of the association, according to Chen’s team. This study and previous ones indicate that calcium, vitamin D and fat are not responsible for the link between dairy foods and Parkinson’s disease. One theory is that pesticides or other nerve-damaging toxins present in milk could contribute to Parkinson’s disease over time. However, dairy foods would likely be only a small part of most people’s exposure to these chemicals, according to Chen. Furthermore, pesticide residues may also be present in other foods, but no other foods were related to Parkinson’s disease risk in this study, the researcher noted. For now, Chen said there is no reason to shun dairy because of the potential relationship to Parkinson’s disease. “Given some of the potential health benefits of dairy foods, people can still enjoy their moderate amounts.” However, the researcher added, since the dairy-Parkinson’s link has now been seen consistently in different studies, further research is needed to understand why.
Parkinson’s Disease: New Coenzyme Q10 Research
April 22, 2007 by mike.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
The NINDS is a component of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and is the nation’s primary supporter of biomedical research on the brain and nervous system.
1. Shults CW, Oakes D, Kieburtz K, Beal F, Haas R, Plumb S, Juncos JL, Nutt J, Shoulson I, Carter J, Kompoliti K, Perlmutter JS, Reich S, Stern M, Watts RL, Kurlan R, Molho E, Harrison M, Lew M, and the Parkinson Study Group. “Effects of coenzyme Q10 in early Parkinson disease: evidence of slowing of the functional decline.” ‘Archives of Neurology’, October 2002, Vol. 59, No. 10, pp. 1541-1550.
Results of the first placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial of the compound coenzyme Q10 suggest that it can slow disease progression in patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD). While the results must be confirmed in a larger study, they provide hope that this compound may ultimately provide a new way of treating PD.The phase II study, led by Clifford Shults, M.D., of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, looked at a total of 80 PD patients at 10 centers across the country to determine if coenzyme Q10 is safe and if it can slow the rate of functional decline. The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and appears in the October 15, 2002, issue of the ‘Archives of Neurology’. (1)“This trial suggested that coenzyme Q10 can slow the rate of deterioration in Parkinson’s disease,” says Dr. Shults. “However, before the compound is used widely, the results need to be confirmed in a larger group of patients.”
PD is a chronic, progressive neurological disease that affects about 500,000 people in the United States. It results from the loss of brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine and causes tremor, stiffness of the limbs and trunk, impaired balance and coordination, and slowing of movements. Patients also sometimes develop other symptoms, including difficulty swallowing, disturbed sleep, and emotional problems. PD usually affects people over the age of 50, but it can affect younger people as well. While levodopa and other drugs can ease the symptoms of PD, none of the current treatments has been shown to slow the course of the disease.
The investigators believe coenzyme Q10 works by improving the function of mitochondria, the “powerhouses” that produce energy in cells. Coenzyme Q10 is an important link in the chain of chemical reactions that produces this energy. It also is a potent antioxidant — a chemical that “mops up” potentially harmful chemicals generated during normal metabolism. Previous studies carried out by Dr. Shults, Richard Haas, M.D., of UCSD and Flint Beal, M.D., of Cornell University have shown that coenzyme Q10 levels in mitochondria from PD patients are reduced and that mitochondrial function in these patients is impaired.
Animal studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 can protect the area of the brain that is damaged in PD. Dr. Shults and colleagues also conducted a pilot study with PD patients which showed that consumption of up to 800 mg/day of coenzyme Q10 was well-tolerated and significantly increased the level of coenzyme Q10 in the blood.All of the patients who took part in the new study had the three primary features of PD — tremor, stiffness, and slowed movements — and had been diagnosed with the disease within 5 years of the time they were enrolled. After an initial screening and baseline blood tests, the patients were randomly divided into four groups. Three of the groups received coenzyme Q10 at three different doses (300 mg/day, 600 mg/day, and 1,200 mg/day), along with vitamin E, while a fourth group received a matching placebo that contained vitamin E alone. Each participant received a clinical evaluation 1 month later and every 4 months for a total of 16 months or until the investigator determined that the patient needed treatment with levodopa. None of the participants or the study investigators knew which treatment each patient had received until the study ended. The investigators found that most side effects of coenzyme Q10 were mild, and none of the patients required a reduction of their dose. The percentage of people receiving coenzyme Q10 who reported side effects was not significantly different from that of the placebo group. During the study period, the group that received the largest dose of coenzyme Q10 (1,200 mg/day) had 44 percent less decline in mental function, motor (movement) function, and ability to carry out activities of daily living, such as feeding or dressing themselves. The greatest effect was on activities of daily living. The groups that received
300 mg/day and 600 mg/day developed slightly less disability than the placebo group, but the effects were less than those in the group that received the highest dosage of coenzyme Q10. The groups that received coenzyme Q10 also had significant increases in the level of coenzyme Q10 in their blood and a significant increase in energy-producing reactions within their mitochondria.The results of this study suggest that doses of coenzyme Q10 as high as 1,200 mg/day are safe and may be more effective than lower doses, says Dr. Shults. The findings are consistent with those of a recently published study of patients with early Huntington’s disease — another degenerative neurological disorder — that showed slightly less functional decline in groups that received 600 mg/day of coenzyme Q10.Dr. Shults and his colleagues strongly caution patients against taking coenzyme Q10 until a larger, definitive trial can be conducted. Because coenzyme Q10 is classified as a dietary supplement, it is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The versions of the supplement sold in stores may differ, they may not contain potentially beneficial amounts of the compound, and taking coenzyme Q10 over a number of years may be costly, says Dr. Shults. In addition, the current study included only a
small number of patients, and the findings may not extend to people in later stages of PD or to those who are at risk but have not been diagnosed with the disorder, he notes. Finally, if many people begin taking coenzyme Q10 because of these early results, it might make it impossible for investigators to find enough patients to carry out definitive studies of the compound’s effectiveness and the proper dosages, since patients must not be taking any treatments in order to be considered for enrollment in a definitive trial.
The investigators are now planning a larger clinical trial that will examine the effects of 1,200 mg/day of coenzyme Q10, and possibly a higher dose as well, in a larger number of patients.
Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation invests in Israeli Foundations
April 16, 2007 by mike.
This article was aggregated from Middle East Analysis
Michael J. Fox Foundation puts faith in Israeli Parkinson’s research
By Laura Goldman
April 15, 2007
Two Israeli companies working on treatments for Parkinson’s Disease have been awarded grants by the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Cell Cure Neurosciences and Proneuron Biotechnologies were awarded $660,000 and $430,000 respectively under a new program started by the foundation to recognize that breakthrough research is being done in industry.
“Can you believe it? Two out of the 10 companies that received a grant under the therapeutic development initiative came from Israel,” said Karen Leeds, development officer at the Fox Foundation. “The competition was stiff. More than 70 companies from all over the world applied.”
These two small Israel biotech companies successfully competed with industry giants like Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. In fact, Cell Cure received the largest grant awarded by the foundation under this initiative.
More at: http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enScript=PrintVersion.jsp&enDispWho=Articles^l1613
‘brain on fire’ Happy birthday Dr Parkinson
April 12, 2007 by mike.
yesterday was the the 252nd birth anniversary of james parkinson,an english physician and surgeon. april 11 is celebrated every year as world parkinson’s day. he was born on 11th april 1755. dr james parkinson wrote “an essay on the shaking palsy”, in which symptoms of this disease were documented which later on came to be known as parkinson’s disease.
parkinson’s is a disease of the nervous system.it is manifested initially by the trembling of one hand followed by the other as soon the disease advances.it is one of the most dreaded diseases associated with old age.in some cases it even strikes those who are aroound 50.this neurological disorder produces muscle movements that are uncontrollable and dramatically reduces bodily motions like walking. the body becomes so stiff that the person cannot walk at all. in the worst case,the upper body inclines to a right angle i.e.90 degrees to the lower body. for some unknown reason women are less afflicted by parkinson’s.
depletion of a critical brain chemical called dopamine has been traced to be the root cause of parkinson’s.certain drugs taken for other ailments can also destroy the dopamine producing cells in the brain leading to what the experts call as simulated parkinson’s. it is pathetic to see some people trying to walk a step or two and then halting. they become as stiff as statues.
but then things are not hopeless.if the person has an intention to walk,the brain can be awakened.on the first attempt, the person may again freeze. but then if another attempt is made, the brain is likely to respond and give the instructions to the leg to move. extending this analogy,using simple mind-body exercises,in a few sessions,a racing heartbeat or asthmatic wheezing or any other physical disorder can be converted into a natural and normal response.
when people become old, they resign themselves to the fact that they have to decline.a strong belief to that effect is instilled in the brain over time.if that can be changed by a positive attitude and by using the power of intention then the brain can be reawakened.what it requires is to constantly programme your mind to remain young. deepak chopra,the well-known health guru, addresses this issue in ‘ageless body,timeless mind’. it is a recommended read.
science is making phenomenal progress with advanced technologies in the world of medicine. a new technique called deep brain stimulation(dbs) has been discovered. it is a revolutionary surgical technique in the war against neurological symptoms that disable human beings.the surgery is a two-step procedure.in the first step an electrode is implanted in the brain. in the second,the wire and pulse generator are implanted below the collarbone. in a period of about three months,the patient recovers significantly; so much so, that the tryst with parkinson’s becomes a forgettable memory.
at mumabi, a yoga programme was conducted at bombay hospital on world parkinson’s day for those afflicted by parkinson’s. many claim that the debilitating symptoms associated with parkinson’s disappear with daily doses of yoga. bks iyengar,the internationally known yoga guru,highlighted the power of yoga. many persons with bent shoulders,poor gait and drool have managed to gain control over their movements, according to a doctor of iyengar yogashraya. one cannot underestimate the influence of mind over body. it plays a very dominant role. while the relief and cure that allopathic medicines provide is substantial, mental and yogic exercises done concurrently can do immense good for the body and soul.
sage patanjali,the propounder of yogashastra,about 2500 years ago, in his yoga sutras(aphorisms) says,”naabhi-chakre kaya-vyuha-gnanam”(hyphens for breaking up the words only). nabhi means navel,chakre means in the energy centre,kaya means the body,vyuha means orderly arrangement or system and gnanam is knowledge.according to yogashastra, the root of all the nerves is in the navel. from the navel 72,000 nerves branch out. it is considered to be the pivot of the sympathetic and the brain of the parasympathetic nervous system. by samyama(integration) on the navel area, the yogi(one who practises yoga) acquires perfect knowledge of the human body.through concentration,meditation and profound absorption. he alone understands the fine dividing line between body and mind and mind and soul. he becomes a master of himself.
the fire in the brain can be doused.modern medicine and yoga both can put people back on their feet.
VITAL SIGNS: AT RISK; Cholesterol Level and Parkinson’s May Be Linked
April 7, 2007 by mike.
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: January 2, 2007
Very low levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, may be linked with an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers compared blood levels of LDL cholesterol in 124 Parkinson’s patients with a control group of 112 of their healthy spouses. Compared with people in the highest one-quarter in LDL levels, those in the lower 75 percent were two to three and a half times as likely to suffer from Parkinson’s. There was no association between Parkinson’s and levels of HDL cholesterol.
Normally, having a low LDL level is a healthy sign. But does this mean that having a higher LDL is actually a good thing? Absolutely not, said Dr. Xuemei Huang, the lead author of the study.
”If a person is healthy with a cholesterol in the middle range, and no family history of heart disease, radically lowering cholesterol may not be necessary,” she said. ”But at the same time, we’re not urging anyone to change his diet or medication based on this finding.” Dr. Huang is a Parkinson’s expert and a neurologist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
The findings, based on retrospective data, could not demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between a low level of LDL and Parkinson’s, the authors said. The paper was published online Dec. 18 in the journal Movement Disorders.
Men and women in the study who used cholesterol-lowering drugs were about a third as likely to have Parkinson’s as those who did not use the drugs. This finding led researchers to suggest that testing the effect of statins on neurodegenerative disease with a much larger sample of patients could be useful.
Drug offers longer Parkinson’s relief, study says
April 5, 2007 by mike.
Newsday
Patients with Parkinson’s disease have long battled the roller-coaster-like effects of the current medicines: Over the course of the disease, the gold standard treatment, L-dopa, doesn’t control the tremors, stiffness, slowness and walking problems, and many don’t know when during the day it will stop working.
What’s more, L-dopa’s side effects — uncontrolled dance-like movements — can be as debilitating as the disease itself.
In the race to find more effective treatments, the latest study, published in the journal Neurology, shows that a once-a-day prolonged-release formula of the federally approved drug ropinirole gives patients two extra hours of symptom relief without worsening the disturbing dyskinesias, or jerky movements, that are seen with L-dopa therapy.
”The fewer pills, the less complicated it will be for Parkinson’s patients,” said Dr. Rajesh Pahwa of the University of Kansas Medical Center, the lead investigator for the study.
In the study, 393 patients who were having problems managing their symptoms with L-dopa alone were given the experimental formulation of ropinirole once a day.
According to the published findings, more than half the patients on the formulation experienced marked improvement, compared with 14 percent of those who took a placebo.
Parkinson’s disease begins when dopamine-containing cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra become damaged and die.
Symptoms begin when about 90 percent of the dopamine in this region is depleted. This brain chemical controls movement, coordination and mood.
With fewer dopamine neurons in the region, communication between the brain and the body is slowed.
L-dopa is used to replace the diminishing dopamine chemical. For a while, patients have good control of their symptoms. But as the disease progresses, each dose works for only three to four hours.
The effect of the drug becomes unpredictable, and 16 percent of people on it develop the dancelike movements within nine months of therapy.
In Parkinson’s, there is less dopamine at the juncture, or synapse, between cells. Dopamine agonists like ropinirole work to replace dopamine.
Last week, the Parkinson’s drug Pergolide was voluntarily withdrawn from the market after several years of reports that patients were developing heart valve damage.
This medicine is an older preparation called an ergot dopamine agonist. No such side effects have been identified with ropinirole or any of the newer non-ergot agonists.
Dr. Warren Olanow, professor and chairman of neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, said Parkinson’s doctors are now using these dopamine agonists as the first therapy early on in the disease so that they can push back the need for L-dopa.
There is more treatment hope for Parkinson’s patients. A patch of experimental medicine is now making its way through the Food and Drug Administration regulatory approval process. Also, gene therapy trials are now being carried out in patients, Olanow said.
A million Americans have Parkinson’s, and as the population ages, the number of new patients is expected to rise.
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Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service
One of the Largest-Ever Parkinson’s Disease Studies Initiated Across the United States
April 5, 2007 by mike.
ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 5 /PRNewswire/ — Researchers with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have initiated one of the largest-ever Parkinson’s disease clinical trials.
The study, which involves more than 50 sites and will enroll over 1,700 patients in the U.S. and Canada, is intended to test a new drug therapy, developed by Palo Alto-based Avicena Group, to slow the progress of Parkinson’s disease and help millions of people around the world afflicted with this debilitating disease.
“This study will harness the expertise of some of the top researchers in the country,” says Dr. Karl Kieburtz, lead investigator for the study. “Projects like this are evidence of the scientific and business communities’ commitment and willingness to collaborate to improve the lives of Parkinson’s patients.”
Despite the large patient population, and high profile sufferers including Muhammad Ali, Michael J. Fox and Janet Reno, current drugs can only treat the disease symptoms. None has been shown to slow or halt disease progression.
The NINDS-sponsored study will examine the efficacy and safety of PD-02, which has demonstrated the potential to improve neurological function and to slow disease progression in Parkinson’s patients.
Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. Some of the common symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors of the hands, arms, legs and jaw, rigidity or stiffness of the body, slowness of movement, and impaired balance and coordination. Because Parkinson’s is a chronic disease symptoms worsen over time.
According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, approximately 40,000 new cases of Parkinson’s are diagnosed each year in the United States with as many as one and a half million people suffering from the disease in total. Individuals eligible for the NIH study are those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s within the past five years, and have received and been responsive to therapy in the past three months to two years. This trial is the first in a series of NINDS-sponsored clinical trials called NET-PD (NIH Exploratory Studies in Parkinson’s Disease).
Source: Avicena Group
Parkinson’s Disease - Can Diet or Exercise Programs Help Relieve Symptoms?
April 4, 2007 by mike.
Diet. Eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet can be beneficial for anybody. But for preventing or curing Parkinson’s disease, there does not seem to be any specific vitamin, mineral, or other nutrient that has any therapeutic value. A high protein diet, however, may limit levodopa’s effectiveness.
Despite some early optimism, recent studies have shown that tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) does not delay Parkinson’s disease. This conclusion came from a carefully conducted study supported by the NINDS called DATATOP (Deprenyl and Tocopherol Antioxidative Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease) that examined, over 5 years, the effects of both deprenyl and vitamin E on early Parkinson’s disease. While deprenyl was found to slow the early symptomatic progression of the disease and delay the need for levodopa, there was no evidence of therapeutic benefit from vitamin E.
Exercise. Because movements are affected in Parkinson’s disease, exercising may help people improve their mobility. Some doctors prescribe physical therapy or muscle-strengthening exercises to tone muscles and to put underused and rigid muscles through a full range of motion. Exercises will not stop disease progression, but they may improve body strength so that the person is less disabled. Exercises also improve balance, helping people overcome gait problems, and can strengthen certain muscles so that people can speak and swallow better. Exercises can also improve the emotional well-being of parkinsonian patients by giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Although structured exercise programs help many patients, more general physical activity, such as walking, gardening, swimming, calisthenics, and using exercise machines, is also beneficial.
