Parkinson's centre given 6m to help it find cure by 2020

First published in News by Alex Regan, Reporter covering Headington and Marston. Call me on (01865) 425429

SCIENTISTS hope a potential cure for Parkinsons Disease could be developed in Oxford by 2020 after a research centre won 6m of extra funding.

The Oxford Parkinsons Disease Centre (OPDC) has been given the money by national research charity Parkinsons UK. The cash will go towards research using brain cells to find new drugs to stunt the development of the disease, or even develop a cure for it in the next five years.

Chief executive of Parkinsons UK Steve Ford said: This new research grant comes at the 50th anniversary of Levadopa, the main drug used to treat the symptoms of Parkinsons.

For people who have Parkinsons, its quite frustrating that the main course of treatment is 50 years old.

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The team at the OPDC are looking at new treatments and doing groundbreaking research to help patients and Oxford should be proud to have a world-leading research facility.

The OPDC, based in South Parks Road, was set up in 2010 with a 5m grant from Parkinsons UK.

Scientists have collected skin tissue from people, using stem cell technology to then turn the skin into brain cells. The cells will be used to test possible cures or treatments for Parkinsons. More than 500 people in Oxfordshire are known to have Parkinsons and many of them are involved in the study.

Director of the centre Richard Wade-Martin said: The past five years have been very important for the centre. Over the next five years we will be working with the samples from Parkinsons sufferers.

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Parkinson's centre given 6m to help it find cure by 2020