Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Researchers discover enzyme in brain inhibits activity of drug-like lead compound for Huntington's Disease Team say findings demonstrate it can be developed as effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases Took five years for the team to establish a crsytal structure of the enzyme for the first time ever By James Rush PUBLISHED: 13:52 EST, 10 April 2013 | UPDATED: 13:52 EST, 10 April 2013 Researchers have made a major breakthrough in the search for treatments for degenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease (file picture posed by models) A major breakthrough has been made by researchers seeking treatments for degenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's Disease. Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have detailed how an enzyme in the brain interacts with a drug-like lead compound for Huntington's Disease to inhibit its activity. The team said their findings demonstrate that it can be developed as an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Working with colleagues at the University of Leicester and the University of Lisbon in Portugal, the researchers identified the molecular structure of the enzyme kynurenine 3-monooxygense (KMO), which is found in the human brain. It took five years for the team to establish … Continue reading →

MONTREAL Eunice Linh You, a Grade 11 student at Laval Liberty High School, won third prize and $3,000 in a national science competition for her work in designing stem cell treatments for patients with Parkinsons disease. Just 17 years old, Linh You won her prize in what was called an incredible field of 208 young Canadian science students who all placed first in earlier regional competitions. First-place winner was Calgary student Arjun Nair, 16, for his work with an experimental cancer photothermal therapy, about injecting patients with gold nanoparticles that can be heated to kill cancer cells. In second place was 17-year-old Selin Jessa for her research into how genetic mutations help people with HIV naturally avoid symptoms associated with the virus. I was extremely happy, Linh You said in an interview from Ottawa where the prizes were announced Tuesday afternoon. I really didnt expect it. There are so many amazing projects. Jon Fairest, president and CEO of Sanofi Canada, a sponsor of the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada competition, said, I think the bar is set higher every year. I think when you get down to a group like this, theyre all winners. The competition, now in its 20th year, … Continue reading →

Apr. 6, 2013 Researchers from Tel Aviv University describe experiments that could lead to a new approach for treating Parkinson's disease (PD) using a common sweetener, mannitol. This research is presented today at the Genetics Society of America's 54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference in Washington D.C., April 3-7, 2013. Mannitol is a sugar alcohol familiar as a component of sugar-free gum and candies. Originally isolated from flowering ash, mannitol is believed to have been the "manna" that rained down from the heavens in biblical times. Fungi, bacteria, algae, and plants make mannitol, but the human body can't. For most commercial uses it is extracted from seaweed although chemists can synthesize it. And it can be used for more than just a sweetener. The Food and Drug Administration approved mannitol as an intravenous diuretic to flush out excess fluid. It also enables drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the tightly linked cells that form the walls of capillaries in the brain. The tight junctions holding together the cells of these tiniest blood vessels come slightly apart five minutes after an infusion of mannitol into the carotid artery, and they stay open for about 30 minutes. Mannitol has another, less-explored talent: … Continue reading →

MUSCATINE, Iowa - The Muscatine County Parkinson Support Group will hold its April meeting from 4-5 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Muscatine County Extension Office, 1514 Isett Ave. A social precedes the meeting at 3:30 p.m. The program features Susan Bode, a physical therapist with Genesis Medical Center-West Central Park Ave., Davenport. She and her associates will present Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, a highly successful movement and voice treatment program for people diagnosed with Parkinson disease. The Muscatine County Parkinson Support Group meets the second Thursday of each month. On Thursday, May 9, the featured speaker is Bob Heimer of H.E.L.P. Legal Assistance in Davenport who will discuss Medicaid Eligibility for nursing home and other long-term care. Muscatine County Parkinson Support Group meetings are open to anyone with an interest in management of Parkinson disease. To learn more, contact John and Karen Schaub at 563-263-1866 or Wayne and Pat Corriel at 563-649-2285. Visit link: Parkinson Support Group to hold April meeting … Continue reading →

As part of Aprils annual Parkinsons Awareness Month, Americans are invited to participate in fun and educational events across the country to help fight Parkinsons, a progressive neurological disease often associated with tremors, slow or uncontrolled movement, and impaired balance. About 1 million Americans have Parkinsons, and 50,000 to 60,000 new Parkinsons cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. April 11 is designated Worlds Parkinsons Day when people across the globe are encouraged to better understand the disease and be advocates for Parkinsons patients and their families. In America, Moving Day events are planned to help celebrate movements pivotal role in treating Parkinsons and symbolizing hope and progress in fighting the disorder. Moving Day is sponsored by the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF), one of the leaders in Parkinsons research, advancement of clinical care, education and outreach. Moving Day unites families, friends and communities in spotlighting Parkinsons on a national level and raising funds to support care and research initiatives to beat the neurodegenerative brain disorder. In hosting Moving Day, NPF partners with select corporations including Right at Home, Inc., an international provider of in-home companion and personal care to senior citizens and others. Right at Home is a … Continue reading →

See Inside Neurodegenerative disorders devastate the brain, but doctors hope one day to replace lost cells By Ferris Jabr BRAIN GROWTH: To replace brain cells lost to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, some researchers are experimenting with grafts of fetal brain tissue and injections of young neurons grown from stem cells in the lab. Image: Bryan Christie Inside the human brain, branching neurons grow beside, around and on top of one another like trees in a dense forest. Scientists used to think that any neurons that wilted and died from injury or disease were gone forever because the brain had no way to replace those cells. By the 1990s, however, most neuroscientists had accepted that the adult brain cultivates small gardens of stem cells that can turn into mature neurons. This article was originally published with the title Replanting the Brain's Forest. Excerpt from: Neural Stem Cell Transplants May One Day Help Parkinson 's Patients, Others (preview) … Continue reading →

Newswise Washington, D.C. (April 6, 2013) Researchers from Tel Aviv University describe experiments that could lead to a new approach for treating Parkinsons disease (PD) using a common sweetener, mannitol. This research is presented today at the Genetics Society of Americas 54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference in Washington D.C., April 3-7, 2013. Mannitol is a sugar alcohol familiar as a component of sugar-free gum and candies. Originally isolated from flowering ash, mannitol is believed to have been the manna that rained down from the heavens in biblical times. Fungi, bacteria, algae, and plants make mannitol, but the human body cant. For most commercial uses it is extracted from seaweed although chemists can synthesize it. And it can be used for more than just a sweetener. The Food and Drug Administration approved mannitol as an intravenous diuretic to flush out excess fluid. It also enables drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the tightly linked cells that form the walls of capillaries in the brain. The tight junctions holding together the cells of these tiniest blood vessels come slightly apart five minutes after an infusion of mannitol into the carotid artery, and they stay open for about 30 minutes. Mannitol has … Continue reading →

There is no one symptom, no one level of symptoms, no one treatment for Parkinsons disease. The disease is as varied and unique as the persons diagnosed with it. To promote education about Parkinsons disease (PD) and ongoing research into the disease, the Parkinsons Disease Foundation has declared April as Parkinsons Awareness Month. Two Bureau County men are telling their stories of being diagnosed with PD, their treatments, and their encouragement to other families facing the disease. Looking back on to nearly 10 years ago, Gerrit Stevenson of Princeton said he lost his sense of smell around 2006-07 but never once thought it could have anything to do with an early onset of Parkinsons disease. But hes since learned the loss of the sense of smell is often, but not always, associated with persons developing PD. The tremors in Stevensons hands didnt begin until several years after he lost his sense of smell. By 2009, the occasional shaking of his hand became more frequent, and in February 2010, he went to the Mayo Clinic. But because the disease was in its earliest stages, a diagnosis wasnt able to be made at that time. He continued seeking answers and went to … Continue reading →

PHOENIX - This month is national Parkinson's Awareness Month and one valley man dealing with the disease is using exercise as a way to help curb some of the symptoms. Brian Baehr begins his morning like many, with a workout. His son Matt, a personal trainer, leads him through a series of exercises to help strengthen his balance, core muscles and overall mental wellness. Fitness has always been a priority to the Baehr family, but it's on the top of their list after Brian was diagnosed with Parkinson's six years ago at the age of 47. "Four years ago it was still early in the Parkinson's awareness community that exercise was so good for you. It was known, it was understood, but it was a little early," said Brian Baehr. At the time, Matt was studying kinesiology at ASU. Through the research he was doing, he recognized the benefits exercise would have on his dad's challenges with Parkinson's. "I felt powerless and I wanted to help and at first there's not much you can do. That's half of what drove me so crazy, I couldn't help my dad and that was unacceptable to me," Matt Baehr. "He and I worked … Continue reading →

Newswise Manhasset, NY The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research today announced the agenda for the Merinoff Symposium 2013: Parkinsons Disease, April 9 11, to discuss the opportunities and challenges for telemedicine to enhance care and access in Parkinsons disease treatment. Participants will include leaders in research for the disease; neurology and movement disorder; allied care; healthcare administration; philanthropy; industry; policy-making and legislation; and telemedicine as well as people living with Parkinsons. The Merinoff Symposium is a rare gathering of experts who can focus on Parkinsons disease from a variety of perspectives and experience, said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president of the Feinstein Institute. The technology of telemedicine is only as effective as it is informed by the stakeholders who have the most to gain from it. This Symposium allows facts and opinions to be shared in an open and collaborative forum resulting in a clear and concrete call to action to improve the lives of patients. The agenda will include panels and speakers to address: How Telemedicine Success with Other Diseases May Apply to Parkinsons Disease: Jonathan Linkous, CEO of American Telemedicine Association will moderate. Why Telemedicine Has Been Adopted By Some Healthcare Systems and How It Is Effective: Colonel … Continue reading →