A research group based at the University of Granada, in cooperation with the Neurology Unit of the San Cecilio Hospital of Granada and the Department of Experimental Sciences of the University of Jaen, is studying the Neurobiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). They have developed a non-invasive method for serological diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, which is being patented by the University of Granada. To this end, the scientists analyzed and purified proteins associated with this disease, such as aminopeptidase. However, it is not an easy task: "there are thousands of proteins in the blood, and only a few are related to neurodegenerative diseases."
Francisco Vives, Head of the Institute the Neurosciences of Granada and coordinator of the University of Granada's research group for the "Study of neurodegenerative diseases in Andalusia" says that "so far, there is not effective treatment" for Parkinson's disease so, at the moment the only solution is palliative treatment. Therefore, "finding plasma specific proteins in patients before the first symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear, will allow us to use drugs that either stop or at least slow down the disease. An early diagnose is important to PD medication"
L-dopa is a dopamine (the neurotransmitter that decreases in this disease) precursor. It is a very effective drug, but its therapeutic effects disappear within a few years of treatment. Other researchers say it even makes the disease worse. In this sense, scientists from the University of Granada have been carrying out a very complex statistical study, using blood samples from patients with PD, and they had proven than L-dopa has an antioxidant effect, that is, a neuroprotective effect.
Alpha Synuclein
Furthermore, one main feature of PD is the formation of intracellular precipitates, called Lewy bodies. The major components of this toxic precipitates are two proteins, α-synuclein and ubiquitin . Many studies have reported the detection of α-synuclein in biological fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of PD patients. It is a matter of debate if plasma α-synuclein is a protein secreted by normal neurons or released by damaged neurons. This research group has found high concentrations of plasma α-synuclein in PD patients. But the most interesting think is that, in newly diagnosed PD patients, and before any medication, plasma α-synuclein is increased. Thus, this blood protein may be used for PD diagnose. So far, this is the first report (in press) reporting changes in α-synuclein in early diagnosed patients without treatment. The increased concentration of α-synuclein found in PD patients with and without treatment suggest that LBs are associated to neurodegeneration and that this is an early event in PD. Medication directed to prevent α-synuclein aggregates may be useful to PD treatment.
PARK-6
Sporadic Parkinson's, associated to age, is the most frequent form of PD. However, and according to experts, genetic predisposition and environmental factors play a key role in the development of the disease.
The Granada research team, with the help of researchers from the Nuclear Medicine Department of the Goethe University (Germany), have studied genetic alterations in several families from the province of Granada, with various of its members affected of PD. In all these families, there have been cases of Parkinson's at an early age. The genetic analysis proved that the presence of a polymorphism in a specific gene (PARK6) is very frequent in those families.
Despite the findings, Francisco Vives states that "there is not a sole gene responsible for Parkinson's disease, but it is rather the conjunction of several genes. Furthermore, the disease accelerates if patients are exposed to environmental toxics, so prevention and an early diagnose is the best for PD patients."
According to Francisco Vives Montero, "rare neurodegenerative diseases of previous times are now increasingly and becoming more frequent, because they are related to aging". Neurodegenerative diseases linking to ageing, like Parkinson's, are estimated to affect 1.5% of people older than 60.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Seeing the future for Parkinson's patients
by John Nuttt, guest opinion
Friday June 05, 2009, 1:00 PM
The recent news that former Portland Trail Blazer Brian Grant suffers from Parkinson's disease caught many of us off guard. It was the same kind of shock we experienced upon learning that actor Michael J. Fox and former Attorney General Janet Reno also suffer from the disease.
Why were we so surprised? For one reason, Parkinson's, like Lou Gehrig's disease and Alzheimer's, is considered a disease of aging, and in a way this is true. Parkinson's typically strikes those older than 60. But as illustrated by Brian Grant, the young are not spared.
Another reason we were so shocked by Grant's diagnosis is the fact that he is in top physical condition. In many minds -- and in fact in many instances -- physical fitness can lead to a certain level of immunity against many diseases, including Parkinson's. Perhaps we all felt a little more susceptible upon learning of the former Blazer star's affliction.
It's unfortunate that it takes stories such as these to remind us how much we have to learn about Parkinson's disease. We don't know the cause of the vast majority of cases and there is no cure. However, it's also a good opportunity to take stock of how far we have come. Because of generous donors and the federal government's commitment to research, we have greatly expanded the list of available treatments within a relatively short amount of time.
We can now treat some of the most severe Parkinson's symptoms. For instance, Dr. Kim Burchiel of Oregon Health & Science University was the first neurosurgeon in the nation to offer deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's -- a pioneering surgical approach in which tiny electrodes are implanted in the brain to diminish the tremor and slowness associated with the disease. In addition, OHSU researcher Fay Horak is hoping to provide patients relief with an exercise program targeting Parkinson's disease to delay onset of associated problems with walking and balance.
So what does the future hold? While it is true that a cure is currently not in sight, medical research is beginning to suggest methods to delay the progression of the disease. In fact, these advancements might help us redefine the word "cure." Perhaps our best approach for Parkinson's is to delay the onset of symptoms to a period so late in life that many who are diagnosed will never feel the full impacts. In other words, let's delay the symptoms of Parkinson's past a person's life expectancy. In a way, might this be considered a cure?
As physicians and researchers at the OHSU Parkinson Center of Oregon, we hope to one day tell all our patients that a Parkinson's diagnosis is a minor nuisance that can be controlled. But there is much work to be done to make this goal a reality We all need to support more research for Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases that affect both young and old.
Together, let's improve the outlook for Brian Grant and so many other patients.
John Nutt is a physician and director of the Parkinson Center of Oregon at OHSU.
Friday June 05, 2009, 1:00 PM
The recent news that former Portland Trail Blazer Brian Grant suffers from Parkinson's disease caught many of us off guard. It was the same kind of shock we experienced upon learning that actor Michael J. Fox and former Attorney General Janet Reno also suffer from the disease.
Why were we so surprised? For one reason, Parkinson's, like Lou Gehrig's disease and Alzheimer's, is considered a disease of aging, and in a way this is true. Parkinson's typically strikes those older than 60. But as illustrated by Brian Grant, the young are not spared.
Another reason we were so shocked by Grant's diagnosis is the fact that he is in top physical condition. In many minds -- and in fact in many instances -- physical fitness can lead to a certain level of immunity against many diseases, including Parkinson's. Perhaps we all felt a little more susceptible upon learning of the former Blazer star's affliction.
It's unfortunate that it takes stories such as these to remind us how much we have to learn about Parkinson's disease. We don't know the cause of the vast majority of cases and there is no cure. However, it's also a good opportunity to take stock of how far we have come. Because of generous donors and the federal government's commitment to research, we have greatly expanded the list of available treatments within a relatively short amount of time.
We can now treat some of the most severe Parkinson's symptoms. For instance, Dr. Kim Burchiel of Oregon Health & Science University was the first neurosurgeon in the nation to offer deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's -- a pioneering surgical approach in which tiny electrodes are implanted in the brain to diminish the tremor and slowness associated with the disease. In addition, OHSU researcher Fay Horak is hoping to provide patients relief with an exercise program targeting Parkinson's disease to delay onset of associated problems with walking and balance.
So what does the future hold? While it is true that a cure is currently not in sight, medical research is beginning to suggest methods to delay the progression of the disease. In fact, these advancements might help us redefine the word "cure." Perhaps our best approach for Parkinson's is to delay the onset of symptoms to a period so late in life that many who are diagnosed will never feel the full impacts. In other words, let's delay the symptoms of Parkinson's past a person's life expectancy. In a way, might this be considered a cure?
As physicians and researchers at the OHSU Parkinson Center of Oregon, we hope to one day tell all our patients that a Parkinson's diagnosis is a minor nuisance that can be controlled. But there is much work to be done to make this goal a reality We all need to support more research for Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases that affect both young and old.
Together, let's improve the outlook for Brian Grant and so many other patients.
John Nutt is a physician and director of the Parkinson Center of Oregon at OHSU.
French farmers are more prone to Parkinson's disease
In a new study, researchers have found that professional exposure of French farm workers to pesticides makes them prone to Parkinson's disease (PD).
French farmers are more prone to Parkinson's disease
The researchers observed that the risk was more pronounced in case of professional exposure towards organochlorine insecticides.
The study, led by Dr. Alexis Elbaz, of Inserm, the national French institute for health research in Paris, involved individuals affiliated with the French health insurance organization for agricultural workers who were frequently exposed to pesticides in the course of their work.
For the study, occupational health physicians interviewed participants, visited farms, and collected a large amount of data on pesticide exposure to construct a detailed lifetime exposure history to pesticides.
The data included farm size, type of crops, animal breeding, which pesticides were used, time period of use, frequency and duration of exposure per year, and spraying method.
It was found that PD patients had been exposed to pesticides through their work more frequently and for a greater number of years/hours than those without PD.
Also, among the three main classes of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), they found that men who had used insecticides had a two-fold increase in the risk of PD.
"Our findings support the hypothesis that environmental risk factors such as professional pesticide exposure may lead to neurodegeneration," noted Elbaz.
The study underlined the need to educate workers applying pesticides as to how these products should be used and the importance of promoting and encouraging the use of protective devices.
The study also raises the question about the role of lower-level environmental exposure through air, water and food, and additional studies are needed to address this question.
French farmers are more prone to Parkinson's disease
The researchers observed that the risk was more pronounced in case of professional exposure towards organochlorine insecticides.
The study, led by Dr. Alexis Elbaz, of Inserm, the national French institute for health research in Paris, involved individuals affiliated with the French health insurance organization for agricultural workers who were frequently exposed to pesticides in the course of their work.
For the study, occupational health physicians interviewed participants, visited farms, and collected a large amount of data on pesticide exposure to construct a detailed lifetime exposure history to pesticides.
The data included farm size, type of crops, animal breeding, which pesticides were used, time period of use, frequency and duration of exposure per year, and spraying method.
It was found that PD patients had been exposed to pesticides through their work more frequently and for a greater number of years/hours than those without PD.
Also, among the three main classes of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), they found that men who had used insecticides had a two-fold increase in the risk of PD.
"Our findings support the hypothesis that environmental risk factors such as professional pesticide exposure may lead to neurodegeneration," noted Elbaz.
The study underlined the need to educate workers applying pesticides as to how these products should be used and the importance of promoting and encouraging the use of protective devices.
The study also raises the question about the role of lower-level environmental exposure through air, water and food, and additional studies are needed to address this question.
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