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Flexibility testing at a Parkinson’s clinic.

A possible breakthrough has happened in the treatment of Parkinsons disease. UCLA researchers have found a way to stop the progression of the disease in animal tests.

Parkinsons is a disease that strikes the nervous system, affecting ones movements. So far, there are no treatments to stop its progression. Medical professionals aren’t even sure what actually causes it.

But researchers do believe one particular protein in the brain plays a role. Its found in clumps in all Parkinson’s patients.

Researchers at UCLA have created a compound that prevents the protein from clumping. They call it a “molecular tweezer.” In live animal tests, the compound binds to that protein, prevents it from aggregating and even breaks up existing clumps.

Most importantly, the compound did this without appearing to harm normal brain cells.

The study was done with transparent zebrafish. Now the findings are being applied to mice. Human trials, they hope, will be next.

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UCLA researchers stop Parkinson's progression in animal tests

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Swim coach Laurie Lawrence.

APN

OLYMPIC and world champion swim coach Laurie Lawrence will add his support to a call for the establishment of a national network of community-based nurses following the publishing of new research into Parkinson’s disease.

The findings of the Australian-first Shoalhaven Project reveal the valuable role played by community-based nurses in supporting people living with this devastating, neurodegenerative disease.

This study reveals the crucial role nurses play in significantly improving the quality of life of more than 1-in-350 (64,000) Australians affected by this disease.

One of those 64,000 is Ian Findlay, the former Australian butterfly champion and life-long friend of Lawrence. Findlay was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s at 40 years of age in 2004.

Lawrence is now urging the Government to fund more community-based Parkinson’s nurses in support of Findlay and other sufferers.

“I coached Ian as a young athlete and I know of no one who trained harder than he did. Once he finished his competitive career, I asked Ian to become my assistant coach. We’ve been friends for 28 years.

“He is a true champion. Ian has tremendous courage and has overcome many obstacles – physical and mental – throughout his distinguished career. Since his diagnosis, he has changed from being an outgoing, bouncy fella to someone who is more introspective and cautious.

“He works incredibly hard to fight the symptoms of Parkinson’s with assistance from his hospital-based nurse and his wife, Nicole, who has given up her career as a school teacher to care for him. Both are integral to his physical and mental wellbeing. Having access to a local, community-based nurse would further complement his support network,” said Mr Lawrence.

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Lawrence dives in for Parkinson's

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Australia’s nursing homes will be swamped by a tidal wave of Parkinson’s sufferers unless governments act now, an expert warns.

A Sydney-based Parkinson’s disease expert says rates are expected to jump 80 per cent over the next 20 years because of Australia’s aging population.

Currently 64,000 people have the progressive brain disease that causes uncontrollable tremors, loss of movement and bowel and bladder problems.

Associate Professor Simon Lewis from the University of Sydney is expected to present new research on the benefits of community-based Parkinson’s nurses at a nursing conference on the Gold Coast on Friday.

Professor Lewis says Australia must adopt the UK approach of employing the specialist nurses or pay the price in nursing home care costs.

‘You have to have a way of addressing this tidal wave of patients who are coming over the next 20 years,’ he told AAP.

His research indicates that access to specialist nurses in the community can stave off the need for nursing home accommodation.

He compared the health of Parkinson’s sufferers and their carers in Shoalhaven, NSW, before and six months after they were placed in the care of a specialist nurse.

‘Very clearly what we saw is that during the time they had been seeing the nurse the patient’s health had improved,’ he said.

‘More importantly, the carers themselves reported that their own health had improved.’

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Parkinson's patients to swamp homes

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ScienceDaily (Mar. 2, 2012) Millions of people suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and worsens over time. As the world’s population ages, it’s estimated that the number of people with the disease will rise sharply. Yet despite several effective therapies that treat Parkinson’s symptoms, nothing slows its progression.

While it’s not known what exactly causes the disease, evidence points to one particular culprit: a protein called -synuclein. The protein, which has been found to be common to all patients with Parkinson’s, is thought to be a pathway to the disease when it binds together in “clumps,” or aggregates, and becomes toxic, killing the brain’s neurons.

Now, scientists at UCLA have found a way to prevent these clumps from forming, prevent their toxicity and even break up existing aggregates.

UCLA professor of neurology Jeff Bronstein and UCLA associate professor of neurology Gal Bitan, along with their colleagues, report the development of a novel compound known as a “molecular tweezer,” which in a living animal model blocked -synuclein aggregates from forming, stopped the aggregates’ toxicity and, further, reversed aggregates in the brain that had already formed. And the tweezers accomplished this without interfering with normal brain function.

The research appears in the current online edition of the journal Neurotherapeutics.

There are currently more than 30 diseases with no cure that are caused by protein aggregation and the resulting toxicity to the brain or other organs, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes. It is therefore critical, Bronstein said, to find a way to stop this aggregation process. Over the last two decades, researchers and pharmaceutical companies have attempted to develop drugs that would prevent abnormal protein aggregation, but so far, they have had little or no success.

While these aggregates are a natural target for a drug, finding a therapy that targets only the aggregates is a complicated process, Bronstein said. In Parkinson’s, for example, the protein implicated in the disorder, -synuclein, is naturally ubiquitous throughout the brain.

“Its normal function is not well understood, but it may play a role in aiding communication between neurons,” Bronstein said. “The trick, then, is to prevent the -synuclein protein aggregates and their toxicity without destroying -synuclein’s normal function, along with, of course, other healthy areas of the brain.

Molecular tweezer

Bronstein collaborated with Bitan, who had been working with a particular molecular tweezer he had developed called CLR01. Molecular tweezers are complex molecular compounds that are capable of binding to other proteins. Shaped like the letter “C,” these compounds wrap around chains of lysine, a basic amino acid that is a constituent of most proteins.

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Parkinson's disease stopped in animal model: Molecular 'tweezers' break up toxic aggregations of proteins

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More than 400,000 Americans are living with Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic, unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system.

Now, new discoveries could help scientists come up with better treatments for the disease and even prevent its onset.

Whether parachuting, fishing, or enjoying the beach, Susan Dobroff has always pictured herself as an outdoors woman.

Susan Dobroff, Living with MS, explains why she enjoys the outdoors so much, “It’s like being in touch with God.”

Not even Multiple Sclerosis could dampen her active lifestyle. Two years after being diagnosed, she started law school.

Dobroff explains how she decided to go to law school, “I realized, you know, you’ve been thinking about going to law school for a long time so got to do it sooner rather than later.”

10 years after her diagnosis, Susan began to lose her ability to walk. Eventually, her legal career came to a grinding halt, too.

Dobroff explains how she struggle after awhile with her job, “Lawyers don’t need to walk and run in order to practice law but we do have to think.”

Now Japanese Macaques could hold the key to helping people like Susan. Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Center have discovered a new herpes virus in monkeys that causes an MS like disease in Macaques.

These brain lesions are a classic indicator of inflammation in people with MS. The discovery could help scientists solve how the disease develops and stop its onset.

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From monkeys to medication: New research into helping people with MS

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Sarah Reynolds, of Frederick, has been named Fredericks ambassador for the Walk MS fundraiser for multiple sclerosis on April 14.

Reynolds mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) a debilitating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system more than 20 years ago, according to a news release.

Since 1990, Reynolds has been the motivator, organizer and team captain of Frederick Walk MS Team Della. Each year she asks family and friends to raise money to support the National MS Society and encouraging more people to participate.

At the walk, she will share her story with about 700 walk participants. Walk MS in Frederick takes place at 9 a.m. on April 14 at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive Frederick. To register, visit http://www.walkmsmaryland.org or call 1-800-FIGHT-MS.

Symptoms of the disease range from reduced or lost mobility to numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding research, advocacy, professional education, collaboration with MS organizations and programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families. To learn more about multiple sclerosis and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society visit http://www.nationalMSsociety.org.

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Newswise Millions of people suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and worsens over time. As the world’s population ages, it’s estimated that the number of people with the disease will rise sharply. Yet despite several effective therapies that treat Parkinson’s symptoms, nothing slows its progression.

While it’s not known what exactly causes the disease, evidence points to one particular culprit: a protein called -synuclein. The protein, which has been found to be common to all patients with Parkinson’s, is thought to be a pathway to the disease when it binds together in “clumps,” or aggregates, and becomes toxic, killing the brain’s neurons.

Now, scientists at UCLA have found a way to prevent these clumps from forming, prevent their toxicity and even break up existing aggregates.

UCLA professor of neurology Jeff Bronstein and UCLA associate professor of neurology Gal Bitan, along with their colleagues, report the development of a novel compound known as a “molecular tweezer,” which in a living animal model blocked -synuclein aggregates from forming, stopped the aggregates’ toxicity and, further, reversed aggregates in the brain that had already formed. And the tweezers accomplished this without interfering with normal brain function.

The research appears in the current online edition of the journal Neurotherapeutics.

There are currently more than 30 diseases with no cure that are caused by protein aggregation and the resulting toxicity to the brain or other organs, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes. It is therefore critical, Bronstein said, to find a way to stop this aggregation process. Over the last two decades, researchers and pharmaceutical companies have attempted to develop drugs that would prevent abnormal protein aggregation, but so far, they have had little or no success.

While these aggregates are a natural target for a drug, finding a therapy that targets only the aggregates is a complicated process, Bronstein said. In Parkinson’s, for example, the protein implicated in the disorder, -synuclein, is naturally ubiquitous throughout the brain.

“Its normal function is not well understood, but it may play a role in aiding communication between neurons,” Bronstein said. “The trick, then, is to prevent the -synuclein protein aggregates and their toxicity without destroying -synuclein’s normal function, along with, of course, other healthy areas of the brain.

Molecular tweezer

Bronstein collaborated with Bitan, who had been working with a particular molecular tweezer he had developed called CLR01. Molecular tweezers are complex molecular compounds that are capable of binding to other proteins. Shaped like the letter “C,” these compounds wrap around chains of lysine, a basic amino acid that is a constituent of most proteins.

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Parkinson's Disease Stopped in Animal Model

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CHERRY HILL, N.J., March 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is pleased to recognize March as MS Awareness Month. During the month of March, MSAA will be highlighting various programs designed to expand knowledge, understanding, and support of individuals whose lives are affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Such program offerings include:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110615/PH20696LOGO )

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life for everyone affected by multiple sclerosis. MSAA provides vital programs and services, such as: a toll-free Helpline; informative publications including a magazine, The Motivator; website featuring educational videos and research updates; S.E.A.R.C.H. program to assist the MS community with learning about different treatment choices; equipment distribution ranging from grab bars to wheelchairs; cooling accessories for heat-sensitive individuals; a mobile phone app, My MS Manager; educational events and activities; MRI funding and insurance advocacy; and more. For additional information, please visit http://www.msassociation.org or call (800) 532-7667.

The most common neurological disorder diagnosed in young adults, multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. This disorder damages or destroys the protective covering (known as myelin) surrounding the nerves, causing reduced communication between the brain and nerve pathways. Common symptoms include visual problems, overwhelming fatigue, difficulty with balance and coordination, and various levels of impaired mobility. MS is not contagious or fatal.

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Keystone Villa at Douglassville held its third of a four-part, free educational series, Caregiver Techniques in Helping with Dementia Care on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Attendees learned different caregiver techniques that would help a person with dementia complete tasks with declining physical, mental and verbal abilities. Alison Sprankle, training specialist and care manager of Good News Consulting, Inc., discussed different life skill methods that can be used to help your loved one.

Sprankle said that no matter what level of dementia, people want to maintain their independence as much as possible. She said it becomes too easy to do too much for them and then it becomes a battle of the wills. To make daily routines easier, she recommends giving options for them to decide for themselves. Sprankle said it does not matter if the outfit they choose clashes, what counts is that they feel self-sufficient.

Because of frustration and declining abilities, a person with dementia might not cooperate and become difficult when asked to do something like eat or brush his or her teeth. The Hand Under Hand technique allows them to feel like they are still doing the task themselves while being guided along.

If he or she is right handed, you sit or stand to the right, slide your hand under their hand palm up and clasp their hand as though you are about to arm wrestle. You get a little behind them and tuck your arm under their arm. In this position, you now have full use of your fingers to hold an object and move their arm up or down or in or out.

In this position, you can hold a utensil, get food and bring it up to their mouth to eat. You can accomplish things like comb their hair or brush their teeth. With this non-invasive help, they feel like they are successfully participating and will cooperate. If the person is left handed, you stand to their left side and do the same thing with your left hand.

Being stubborn and refusing to eat can become a huge challenge for the caregiver. Other methods that help with dining are simplifying utensils, cups and food presentation by using contrasting colors in table settings to help with attention span, minimizing distracting noise, playing calming instrumental music, and having one-on-one conversations.

If you notice sputtering, coughing or chewing problems while eating, contact your doctor and ask for a speech evaluation to determine if a change is needed in food texture and/or liquid consistency.

Bathing can also be difficult to accomplish as the disease progresses. A few simple techniques could defuse a situation from becoming a behavioral trigger. Dont make a person take a shower when they have been a bath taker all their life. Determine what time of day they prefer personal hygiene. Collect all of the supplies you need in advance before you begin. Let them get bathed in a loose fitting cover-up so their dignity is maintained. Warm the room and towels. Minimize noise, distractions and clutter. If they really dont like water on their body anymore, try a waterless shampoo or soap product. They can be found online or at many stores that sell camping products like Cabelas or Dicks Sporting Goods.

No matter what you are trying to accomplish as the caregiver, keep the activity positive. Start carefully and slowly, go step-by-step and provide encouraging feedback all the way.

Keystone Villa at Douglassville invites the community to attend the conclusion of this series on Wednesday, March 21, 6 to 7:30 p.m., with Successful Engagement with Those Who Have Dementia. Continued…

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