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Researcher developing therapy to halt symptoms in parkinson'spatients by 123wert sdfsf
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Researcher developing therapy to halt symptoms in parkinson'spatients |
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Parkinson's disease , a disorder which affects movement and cognition, affects over amillion Americans, including actor Michael J. Fox, who firstbrought it to the attention of many TV-watching Americans. It'scharacterized by a gradual loss of neurons that produce dopamine.Mutations in the gene known as DJ-1 lead to accelerated loss ofdopaminergic neurons and result in the onset of Parkinson'ssymptoms at a young age. The ability to modify the activity of DJ-1 could change theprogress of the disease, says Dr.
Nirit Lev, a researcher at TelAviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and a movementdisorders specialist at Rabin Medical Center. Working incollaboration with Profs. Dani Offen and Eldad Melamed, Dr. Lev hasnow developed a peptide which mimics DJ-1's normal function,thereby protecting dopamine- producing neurons. What's more, thepeptide can be easily delivered by daily injections or absorbedinto the skin through an adhesive patch.
Based on a short protein derived from DJ-1 itself, the peptide hasbeen shown to freeze neurodegeneration in its tracks, reducingproblems with mobility and leading to greater protection of neuronsand higher dopamine levels in the brain. Dr. Lev says that thismethod, which has been published in a number of journals includingthe Journal of Neural Transmission , could be developed as a preventative therapy. Guarding dopamine levels As we age, we naturally lose dopamine-producing neurons.Parkinson's patients experience a rapid loss of these neurons fromthe onset of the disease, leading to much more drastic deficienciesin dopamine than the average person.
Preserving dopamine-producingneurons can mean the difference between living life as aParkinson's patient or aging normally, says Dr. Lev. The researchers set out to develop a therapy based on theprotective effects of DJ-1, using a short peptide based on thehealthy version of DJ-1 itself as a vehicle. "We attached theDJ-1-related peptide to another peptide that would allow it toenter the cells, and be carried to the brain," explains Dr. Lev.
In pre-clinical trials, the treatment was tested on mice utilizingwell-established toxic and genetic models for Parkinson's disease.From both a behavioral and biochemical standpoint, the mice thatreceived the peptide treatment showed remarkable improvement.Symptoms such as mobility dysfunctions were reduced significantly,and researchers noted the preservation of dopamine-producingneurons and higher dopamine levels in the brain. Preliminary tests indicate that the peptide is a viable treatmentoption. Though many peptides have a short life span and degradequickly, this peptide does not. Additionally, it provides a safetreatment option because peptides are organic to the body itself. Filling an urgent need According to Dr.
Lev, this peptide could fill a gap in thetreatment of Parkinson's disease. "Current treatments are lackingbecause they can only address symptoms - there is nothing that canchange or halt the disease," she says. "Until now, we have lackedtools for neuroprotection." The researchers also note the potential for the peptides to be usedpreventatively. In some cases, Parkinson's can be diagnosed beforemotor symptoms begin with the help of brain scans, explains Dr.Lev, and patients who have a genetic link to the disease might optfor early testing. A preventative therapy could help many potentialParkinson's patients live a normal life.
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