Discovery could benefit Parkinson's disease sufferers

EPG Online News
07 Jan 2009

A new study into the role of mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases could benefit Parkinson's disease sufferers, it has been revealed.

Research undertaken at the University of Quebec and Montreal, Canada, by PhD student Sonia Do Carmo has highlighted the protective and reparative function of apolipoprotein D, more commonly known as ApoD.

Ms Do Carmo's discovery could mean the implementation of new treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, dementia and multiple sclerosis.

Commenting on the study, professor Eric Rassart, who led an initial study into the effectiveness of ApoD, said that the next step was to "understand the action of the protein".

"Only then will we be able to think about creating a drug to prevent these types of diseases and to slow their progression," he said.

Professor Rassart added that, because so little was known about the mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases, Ms Do Carmo's discovery represented a "significant breakthrough".

It is estimated that there are three to four million people in the US who have Parkinson's disease without it being diagnosed.