Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwired - Jun 20, 2013) - Melbourne-based Prana Biotechnology (ASX: PBT) (NASDAQ: PRAN) today welcomed the release of data which indicates its drug candidate PBT434 shows significant disease-modifying capability in multiple animal models of Parkinson's Disease (PD) with potential utility in a range of movement disorders. PD is caused by the death of specialized neurons in the region of the brain called the substantia nigra. This is the only part of the brain where iron, dopamine (a neurotransmitter) and the alpha synuclein protein are all present at high concentrations. In PD, iron binds to dopamine, preventing it from functioning normally, and creating toxic free radicals. Iron also binds to alpha synuclein, causing it to aggregate. The aggregation of this protein is a well-established pathological feature of PD, and a target for new disease-modifying therapies. PBT434 prevents alpha synuclein from aggregating and also prevents the toxic consequences of iron combining with dopamine. In a further sign of the potential of PBT434 as an effective treatment, its therapeutic benefits were seen to be dose-dependent. Increasing increments of the drug resulted in increased preservation of neurons and increased improvement in motor function. "These data are highly positive and support the advancement of … Continue reading →

NeuroDerm, which has developed a method of administering drugs via the skin, has announced good results in a trial of its product that combines two treatments for Parkinson's disease administered dermally. This is the second product in the company's pipeline, and it is now completing the Phase IIa stage of trials, the initial efficacy stage. The product at the most advanced stage of development is a single treatement for Parkinson's disease administered via the skin, which has already successfully undergone a Phase IIIb multi-center efficacy trial. 54 healthy volunteers aged 18-40 took part in the current trial. It was found that the material does not cause side-effects beyond those expected, that the level of the drug in the blood remains uniform, and that the company succeeded in controlling the levels of the drug, making them higher during the day and lower, but still at the desired level, during the night, and again higher the following morning, so that the person being tested would awake in a state in which he or she was already capable of movement. According to NeuroDerm CEO Dr. Oded Lieberman, the new product is especially efficacious in comparison with products administered by swallowing, in that it … Continue reading →

X-ray of a skull during treatment of Parkinson's disease by electric stimulation of electrodes implanted in the thalamus. THE CANADIAN PRESS/PHOTOTAKE The Parkinson Society will host its 22nd annual gala fundraiser in downtown Toronto next month. The group, formally known as the Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario, will hold the Pitch In! gala dinner on July 21. New this year is a silent auction, Parkinson Society spokesperson Alineh Haidery told CityNews.ca, with prizes like a round of golf at the world-renowned Glen Abbey course and tickets to a Toronto Blue Jays game on Aug. 15, where the team will take on the Chicago Red Sox. Former Blue Jays catcher and current Sportsnet analyst Gregg Zaun will host the evening. We chose Gregg because his mother is currently living with the disease, Haidery said. Guests will be able to speak with him over the course of the night. The event is held in partnership with Parkinson Society Canada and will help raise funds for research as well as support services, education and advocacy for people living with Parkinsons. Parkinsons is a neurodegenerative disease that can cause tremors, slowness, stiffness and impaired balance. The society estimates nearly 100,000 Canadians have the … Continue reading →

Kanye West, who fathered a child and a hit album the same week, is being criticized for insensitivity for referring in the lyrics of a new song to a bitch shaking like Parkinsons. The song On Sight, which is laden with derogatory terms for women, as well as references to the singers desire to have sex with other peoples wives and to get a girl to return to a Miami nightclub she has been kicked out of so she can perform oral sex on him one more time, caught the eye of the American Parkinson Disease Association. We find these lyrics distasteful and the product of obvious ignorance, the associations vice president, Kathryn Whitford, told the gossip website TMZ. She did not elaborate, but Steve Ford of Parkinsons UK was happy to take things further. Kanye West has shown an inexcusable level of stupidity and cruelty towards people living with an incurable condition, Ford told the Independent. People with Parkinsons have to cope with intolerable social discrimination on a daily basis often to the point where they are afraid to go out in public and this sort of thoughtless, callous comment can only serve to make things even worse for … Continue reading →

June 19, 2013 Diapocynin, a synthetic molecule derived from a naturally occurring compound (apocynin), has been found to protect neurobehavioral function in mice with Parkinson's Disease symptoms by preventing deficits in motor coordination. The findings are published in the May 28, 2013 edition of Neuroscience Letters. Brian Dranka, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), is the first author of the paper. Balaraman Kalyanaraman, PhD, Harry R. & Angeline E. Quadracci Professor in Parkinson's Research, chairman and professor of biophysics, and director of the MCW Free Radical Research Center, is the corresponding author. In a specific type of transgenic mouse called LRRK2R1441G, the animals lose coordinated movements and develop Parkinson's-type symptoms by ten months of age. In this study, the researchers treated those mice with diapocynin starting at 12 weeks. That treatment prevented the expected deficits in motor coordination. "These early findings are encouraging, but in this model, we still do not know how this molecule exerts neuroprotective action. Further studies are necessary to discover the exact mode of action of the diaopocynin and other molecules with a similar structure," said Dr. Kalyanaraman. Clinicians have expressed a need for earlier disease detection in Parkinson's Disease patients; the … Continue reading →

Increasing iron intake by 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood can reduce the likelihood of developing Parkinsons disease by 3%, Italian researchers have concluded after performing an extensive literature review. Irene Pichler and her team from the multi-institution research group, EURAC, assessed studies involving more than 130,000 people in Europe, North America and Australia in coming to their conclusions. [Our]study suggests a causal association between increased serum iron levels and decreased risk of developing Parkinsons disease, suggesting that disrupted iron metabolism may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of Parkinsons disease, they wrote. They said the mechanism of action remained unclear, calling on more research into that area, before any specific treatment recommendations can be proposed. But, The effect of dietary iron or drugs capable of altering the balance between serum iron and iron storage compartments, might prove to be suitable to test in experimental models. The development of such disease models is therefore necessary before any public health or clinical recommendation can be made for primary prevention in subjects at high risk of developing Parkinsons disease. Method The researchers assessed the possible link between blood iron levels and the risk of developing Parkinsons disease by using three polymorphisms … Continue reading →

Washington, June 18 (ANI): An artificial sweetener produced by fungi, bacteria, and algae could help treat those suffering from Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. Mannitol that is present in sugar-free gum and candy has been approved by the FDA as a diuretic to flush out excess fluids and used during surgery as a substance that opens the blood/brain barrier to ease the passage of other drugs. Profs. Ehud Gazit and Daniel Segal of Tel Aviv University's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, along with their colleague Dr. Ronit Shaltiel-Karyo and PhD candidate Moran Frenkel-Pinter, found that mannitol also prevents clumps of the protein a-synuclein from forming in the brain - a process that is characteristic of Parkinson's disease. These results of the study have suggested that this artificial sweetener could be a novel therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. After identifying the structural characteristics that facilitate the development of clumps of a-synuclein, researchers searched for a compound that could inhibit the proteins' ability to bind together. In the lab, they found that mannitol was among the most effective agents in preventing aggregation of the protein in test tubes. … Continue reading →

NATICK, Mass., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Patients with Parkinson's disease using the Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) Vercise DBS (deep brain stimulation) System showed a significant improvement in motor scores according to interim data from the VANTAGE DBS study. Data from the six month follow-up of up to 40 participants enrolled in the VANTAGE trial were presented at the annual International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders in Sydney, Australia by Prof. Dr. Lars Timmermann, of University Hospital in Koln, Germany. The Vercise DBS System incorporates multiple independent current control, which is designed to selectively stimulate targeted areas in the brain, providing physicians with fine control of stimulation. Preliminary analysis of the VANTAGE study displays approximately 60 percent mean improvement in motor function at six months post implant, as assessed by UPDRS III1 when compared to baseline. The Boston Scientific sponsored study was designed to document patient outcomes. These include effectiveness, safety, and health economic data derived from bilateral stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in the brain using the implantable Vercise DBS System for the treatment of levodopa-responsive, moderate to severe idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Forty participants with Parkinson's disease were implanted bilaterally at six European centers. "We are pleased … Continue reading →

Civitas Therapeutics Inc. of Chelsea said Tuesday that it has received a $1 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research to advance trials of an experimental treatment of Parkinsons disease. An estimated 6 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinsons disease, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the diminished production of dopamine, resulting in progressive impairment of motor function including tremors, rigidity, and difficulty in moving. According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation website, the actor was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinsons disease in 1991. Upon disclosing his condition in 1998, he committed himself to the campaign for increased Parkinsons research. Civitas said that the foundations $1 million grant will support a clinical trial of a drug candidate it calls CVT-301. CVT-301 is an inhaled formulation of levodopa, which is also known as L-dopa. CVT-301 is being developed as an adjunct therapy designed to provide rapid and reliable relief from intermittent debilitating motor fluctuations that impact a large proportion of Parkinsons disease patients, the company said. The enthusiasm and support of MJFF (Michael J. Fox Foundation) for CVT-301 has been extraordinarily valuable in our efforts, Rick Batycky, founder and chief scientific officer of Civitas, said in a statement. In … Continue reading →

It's almost 200 years since Parkinson's disease was discovered, and yet there is no cure for this debilitating disease although some medications are capable of easing the symptoms. One of the hallmarks of this disease is the accumulation of a protein called "alpha-synuclein" within brain neurons. Here's some sweet news. Researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that an artificial sweetener Mannitol could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease as it has been found to prevent aggregation of alpha-synuclein protein in brain in lab studies. As part of the study, the locomotive capability of transgenic fruit flies engineered to carry the human gene for alpha-synuclein was assessed by comparing the ability of normal flies and mutated flies to climb the walls of a test tube. Initially, 72 percent of normal flies were able to climb up the test tube, compared to only 38 percent of the genetically-altered flies. The locomotive capability was again tested after feeding the genetically-altered flies with food enriched with Mannitol for a period of 27 days. The second time was surprisingly different - with 70 percent of the mutated flies able to climb up the test tube. In addition, there was a 70 percent reduction … Continue reading →