Category Archives: Parkinson’s Treatment

Taking statins may lower the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, particularly among people younger than 60, a new study suggests. Overall, people who took cholesterol-lowering statins had a 26 percent decreased risk of developing Parkinson's disease over a 12-year period. For those under 60, the risk was reduced by 69 percent. The results held even after the researchers took into account other factors that may heighten the risk of Parkinson's disease, such as smoking. However, the results should be interpreted with caution, the researchers said. For starters, the calculations they made to determine whether their findings could be due to chance, instead of a real risk-reducing effect, showed that the results met this criteria, but just barely. In addition, about 30 percent of people categorized as taking statins were likely taking another type of cholesterol-lowering drug. In addition, statins have been found to lower blood levels of coenzyme Q, a substance that may protect against Parkinson's disease and is actually being tested as a treatment for the condition. Because of this, and other potentially adverse effects of statins, more studies are needed to clarify the effect of these drugs on Parkinson's disease, including whether only certain types of statins have … Continue reading →

By:Ivanhoe Broadcast News To view our videos, you need to enable JavaScript. Learn how. install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now. Then come back here and refresh the page. Nilou Salimpour Media Relations Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (310) 292-6536 salimpourn@cshs. org If Parkinson's disease is left untreated, it can completely disable an individual. It may also lead to a deterioration of all brain functions and an early death. The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is still unknown. It has yet to be discovered why some brain cells waste away, but there are some potential factors that may play a role. Parkinson's disease occurs when the nerve cells, which make dopamine in the brain, are slowly destroyed. Without dopamine, the nerve cells in that part of the brain cannot properly send messages. This leads to the loss of muscle function. Other factors that may contribute to Parkinson's disease are genetic mutations, being exposed to certain toxins or viruses, low norepinephrine levels or having lewy bodies-unusual protein clumps which are found in the brain. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. The goal of treatment is to control the symptoms, mostly by increasing the levels of dopamine in the brain, making the … Continue reading →

VANCOUVER , March 12, 2012 /CNW/ - Allon Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: NPC.TO - News) announced today the completion of its first phase of work in a preclinical Parkinson's disease (PD) model and advancement into the second phase of work. Both phases are funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson's Research and carried out by Prof. Marie-Francoise Chesselet's lab at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The first phase of the project conducted experiments on young alpha-synuclein transgenic animals, a model for PD. Feedback from a recent review by MJFF scientists and an expert panel of scientific reviewers helped strengthen the study design of the second phase of the project, studying the effect of davunetide on aged transgenic animals with pronounced motor impairment and dopaminergic deterioration, similar to what is seen in mild-to-moderate PD patients. Allon expects the results of these studies to be released in conjunction with publications or presentation at an international meeting at a later date. The objective of this work is centred on using relevant preclinical models to determine if there is a strong scientific rationale for moving davunetide into clinical trials in PD. In assessing the clinical potential of davunetide in PD, … Continue reading →

MIAMI & JUPITER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OPKO Health, Inc. (NYSE: OPK - News) and The Scripps Research Institute today announced a global agreement for the development and commercialization of SR 3306, a novel compound discovered by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute that blocks the destruction of brains cells in animal models of Parkinsons disease. Under the terms of the agreement, The Scripps Research Institute has granted to OPKO Health exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize SR 3306 and related compounds that inhibit a class of enzymes called jun-N-terminal kinsases (JNK) that play an important role in neuron survival. The new compound, a small molecule known as SR-3306, would potentially be the first to protect the brain from the ravages of Parkinson's disease. This licensing agreement will help insure that the development of this promising compound keeps moving forward, said Scripps Research Professor Philip LoGrasso, whose laboratory has led the research on the compound to date. This is one of the best opportunities we have for the development of an effective neuroprotective treatment for Parkinsons patients. We are excited to be working with Dr. LoGrasso and The Scripps Research Institute to develop this important compound … Continue reading →

The deaths of four monkeys at the University of B.C., now under investigation by the BC SPCA, resulted from a small dose of a designer drug being tested in Parkinson's disease research and was completely unexpected, the university says. And that research was fully overseen by UBC's Animal Care Committee, despite claims to the contrary by animal rights activists, the committee chairman says. A spokeswoman for research animal watchdog group STOP UBC Animal Research, Anne Birthistlem, said she was concerned UBC researcher Doris Doudet's experiment did not receive full scrutiny by the ACC because it was a "pilot project." But ACC chairman Marcel Bally said that Doudet's work was not done as a pilot project. UBC spokesman Randy Schmidt said the committee reviewed the proposed research and the protocol for the treatment of those animals. Committee members also conducted annual inspections of UBC's animal research facilities. As well, veterinarians paid monthly visits to each facility and were involved on-site during significant procedures. Schmidt added that those veterinarians were required to report any breaches of the research's protocol or any perceived abuse of the animals to the Animal Care Committee. As well, a national organization, the Canadian Council on Animal Care, … Continue reading →

Nearly one million people in the United States are living with Parkinson's Disease. Although there is no cure, there are medications and surgical options that can help manage symptoms optimally. Winthrop-University Hospital's Perspectives in Health series will offer a free seminar for the public, "Discover New Treatments for Parkinson's Disease," on Tuesday, March 20, at 7:00 PM. The program will be held at Winthrop's Community Outreach Center, located at 101 Mineola Boulevard at the corner of Second Street in Mineola. The speakers, who are two leading experts in the field of Parkinson's, will provide information about the most advanced treatment options and will explain the evaluation process for treating the disease. Nora L. Chan, MD, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Winthrop, will discuss how to optimize the medical management of the disease, and address the nonmovement related issues of Parkinson's, such as problems with cognition, depression, fatigue, and sleep. Brian Synder, MD, will explain surgical techniques, including deep brain stimulation (DBS), an innovative, sophisticated technology that targets regions deep within the brain to control motor symptoms. A question and answer period will be included in the program. Attendees are asked to arrive at 6:45 PM for registration. Parking … Continue reading →

Public release date: 6-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Mary Wade mwade@aao.org 415-447-0221 American Academy of Ophthalmology SAN FRANCISCO March 6, 2012 A new paradigm to explain glaucoma is rapidly emerging, and it is generating brain-based treatment advances that may ultimately vanquish the disease known as the "sneak thief of sight." A review now available in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, reports that some top researchers no longer think of glaucoma solely as an eye disease. Instead, they view it as a neurologic disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to degenerate and die, similar to what occurs in Parkinson disease and in Alzheimer's. The review, led by Jeffrey L Goldberg, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, describes treatment advances that are either being tested in patients or are scheduled to begin clinical trials soon. Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. For many years, the prevailing theory was that vision damage in glaucoma patients was caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP). As a result, lowering IOP was the only goal of … Continue reading →

Public invited to Parkinsons disease forum Free event set for Saturday in Sun Valley By REBECCA MEANY Express Staff Writer Parkinson's disease experts will be in Sun Valley on Saturday, March 10, for a free, informational public seminar. As part of the Parkinson's Disease Education Series, sponsored by the University of Utah Health Care Clinical Neurosciences Center, the seminar this Saturday will update attendees on research, treatment and clinical care for Parkinson's disease sufferers, their families and health care providers. Speakers will be Dr. Lauren Schrock and Dr. David Shprecher from the University of Utah and Dr. Kenneth Brait from St. Luke's Hailey Clinic. The presenters will provide updates on how Parkinson's disease and related disorders are diagnosed and managed. "Just as drug therapy transformed the treatment of Parkinson's disease 40 years ago, new techniques of electronic treatment to the brain by way of deep brain stimulation are extending the productive years of Parkinson's patients," Brait said. "We will be discussing the interplay between the pharmacologic and electronic therapies." Shprecher said the group will highlight ongoing research, including their own, designed to advance treatment of Parkinson's disease. A question-and-answer session will follow their presentations. Read the original: Public invited to … Continue reading →

NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As demand for effective diagnostics and treatments for Parkinsons Disease grows around the globe, Rainbow BioSciences (OTCBB: RBCC.OB - News) is working to capitalize by helping to deliver promising new therapies to market. RBCC announced today that the company plans to sign a letter of intent with a drug development company that could be on the verge of promising new diagnostic and therapeutic tools for Parkinsons patients and their doctors. The increasing market potential for Parkinsons therapies is what attracted RBCCs attention to the developing company. The market for Parkinson's disease drugs could grow to a value of $3.75 billion by 2015, according to a report last year by Visiongain. Growth in the Parkinson's treatment market is being driven by new breakthroughs, and RBCC could potentially help advance the timeline for a cure for the debilitating disease. RBCC plans to continue discussing deals with emerging drug therapy companies in an effort to speed that cure along. For more information on RBCCs biotechnology initiatives, please visit http://www.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors. About Rainbow BioSciences Rainbow BioSciences, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rainbow Coral Corp. (OTCBB: RBCC.OB - News). The company continually seeks out new partnerships with biotechnology developers to deliver … Continue reading →

BERWYN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QR Pharma, Inc. (QR) a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to developing therapeutics with novel approaches for the treatment of Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, announced today that The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research (MJFF) awarded the company $468,000 to conduct research for the development of Posiphen to treat PD. QR will collaborate with Robert Nussbaum, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine and Chief, Division of Medical Genetics at the University of California, San Francisco and Jack T. Rogers, PhD, Associate Professor Psychiatry (Neuroscience) at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Genetics and Aging Research Unit. Mutations and overexpression of alpha-synuclein (a-SYN) have been shown to cause familial PD while genetic association studies indicate a-SYN is a key risk factor in sporadic PD. Evidence suggests that therapies that can reduce a-SYN expression may block its pathogenic actions and therefore be useful in treating PD. In vitro studies conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital demonstrate that Posiphen lowers a-SYN levels by inhibiting a-SYN translation. To establish efficacy in PD, Posiphen will be tested in transgenic mice engineered by Dr. Nussbaums group at UCSF that express mutant human a-SYN. These mice exhibit early gastrointestinal dysfunction at … Continue reading →