A six-month program of Tai Chi exercises helped people with various stages of Parkinson's disease improve stability, their ability to walk and reduced the frequency of falls.

A study released this week in the New England Journal of Medicine compared a six-month tailored Tai Chi program to resistance training and stretching to see which was most effective at improving functional movement, walking and balance for Parkinson's patients.

Researchers randomly assigned 195 men and women ages 40 to 85 who were in stages one to four of Parkinson's disease (on a scale of one to five). Parkinson's is a neurological disorder caused by a loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a chemical involved with muscle function and movement coordination. That can result in tremors, stiffness, poor coordination and more difficulty doing daily activities. It can also lead to a higher risk of falls, which can cause serious injuries.

Tai Chi, a discipline that incorporates slow, deliberate movements, plus breathing, has health benefits that include reducing stress and improving balance and posture.

The study participants were randomly assigned to hourlong, twice weekly sessions of Tai Chi, resistance training or stretching for six months. Researchers assessed their status at the beginning of the study, at three and six months, and three months after the study ended.

The Tai Chi group did better than the stretching group on a few measures: leaning without losing balance, having better directional control of their body, and walking skills. They outperformed the resistance training group on balance and stride length. Those in the Tai Chi group also reduced their frequency of falls more than the stretching group, and on a par with the resistance group.

Three months after the study ended, those in the Tai Chi group were able to maintain the benefits they had gained.

"Since many training features in the program are functionally oriented," said Oregon Research Institute scientist Fuzhong Li in a news release, "the improvements in the balance and gait measures that we demonstrated highlight the potential of Tai Chi-based movements in rehabilitating patients with these types of problems and, consequently, easing cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease and improving mobility, flexibility, balance and range of motion." Li was the lead author of the study.

He added that Tai Chi has several advantages: "It is a low-cost activity that does not require equipment, it can be done anywhere, at any time, and the movements can be easily learned. It can also be incorporated into a rehabilitation setting as part of existing treatment. Similarly, because of its simplicity, certain aspects of this Tai Chi program can also be prescribed to patients as a self-care/home activity."

See the original post here:
Tai Chi may help Parkinson's patients regain balance

POSTED: 4:31 pm MST February 14, 2012

UPDATED: 4:59 pm MST February 14, 2012

LOS ANGELES -- More than one million Americans are living with Parkinson's disease. Right now, doctors diagnose it by conducting a physical exam that?s often unreliable, but that?s about to change.William used to be a professional welterweight fighter. Today, he?s fighting a different yet powerful opponent, Parkinson?s disease."I got Parkinson?s, Parkinson?s ain?t got me," William "Tank" Hill, a former boxer said. Debora Bergstrom is also battling the condition that causes tremors, balance problems and speech issues. The mom of three was diagnosed four years ago by a neurologist."She told me to stand up, walk, she rotated my arms and hands, and she said, yes, you have Parkinson's," Debora Bergstrom said.Many people wait years before getting that diagnosis. Doctors physically examine patients for the telltale symptoms to formulate their conclusion, but their observations aren?t always accurate.Forty percent of Parkinson?s patients are undiagnosed and at least 10 percent who are diagnosed don?t really have it. Doctor Louise Thomson says a new imaging test called DATscan is giving doctors a glimpse inside the Parkinson?s brain. First, doctors inject patients with a tracer. Then they scan the brain for dopamine, a chemical that Parkinson?s patients lack.Thomson says the test can tell doctors if the patient has Parkinson?s or just a tremor disorder, which is treated differently"This is a game changer. It?s going to lead to earlier diagnosis and clearer diagnosis for patients with tremors," Doctor Louise Thomson, MBChB, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center explained.An earlier diagnosis means patients can start treatments sooner, potentially slowing symptom development of this devastating disease. For William and Debora, every symptom-free day matters. Now , doctors are one step closer to figuring that out. The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by TheDenverChannel.com. By posting a comment you agree to accept our Terms of Use. Comments are moderated by the community. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Comments that are flagged by a set number of users will be automatically removed.

See the article here:
Medical Breakthrough: First Test To Show Parkinson's Disease

A six-month program of Tai Chi exercises helped people with various stages of Parkinson's disease improve stability, their ability to walk and reduced the frequency of falls.

A study released this week in the New England Journal of Medicine compared a six-month tailored Tai Chi program to resistance training and stretching to see which was most effective at improving functional movement, walking and balance for Parkinson's patients.

Researchers randomly assigned 195 men and women ages 40 to 85 who were in stages one to four of Parkinson's disease (on a scale of one to five). Parkinson's is a neurological disorder caused by a loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a chemical involved with muscle function and movement coordination. That can result in tremors, stiffness, poor coordination and more difficulty doing daily activities. It can also lead to a higher risk of falls, which can cause serious injuries.

Tai Chi, a discipline that incorporates slow, deliberate movements, plus breathing, has health benefits that include reducing stress and improving balance and posture.

The study participants were randomly assigned to hourlong, twice weekly sessions of Tai Chi, resistance training or stretching for six months. Researchers assessed their status at the beginning of the study, at three and six months, and three months after the study ended.

The Tai Chi group did better than the stretching group on a few measures: leaning without losing balance, having better directional control of their body, and walking skills. They outperformed the resistance training group on balance and stride length. Those in the Tai Chi group also reduced their frequency of falls more than the stretching group, and on a par with the resistance group.

Three months after the study ended, those in the Tai Chi group were able to maintain the benefits they had gained.

"Since many training features in the program are functionally oriented," said Oregon Research Institute scientist Fuzhong Li in a news release, "the improvements in the balance and gait measures that we demonstrated highlight the potential of Tai Chi-based movements in rehabilitating patients with these types of problems and, consequently, easing cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease and improving mobility, flexibility, balance and range of motion." Li was the lead author of the study.

He added that Tai Chi has several advantages: "It is a low-cost activity that does not require equipment, it can be done anywhere, at any time, and the movements can be easily learned. It can also be incorporated into a rehabilitation setting as part of existing treatment. Similarly, because of its simplicity, certain aspects of this Tai Chi program can also be prescribed to patients as a self-care/home activity."

See the original post here:
Tai Chi may help Parkinson's patients regain balance

POSTED: 4:31 pm MST February 14, 2012

UPDATED: 4:59 pm MST February 14, 2012

LOS ANGELES -- More than one million Americans are living with Parkinson's disease. Right now, doctors diagnose it by conducting a physical exam that?s often unreliable, but that?s about to change.William used to be a professional welterweight fighter. Today, he?s fighting a different yet powerful opponent, Parkinson?s disease."I got Parkinson?s, Parkinson?s ain?t got me," William "Tank" Hill, a former boxer said. Debora Bergstrom is also battling the condition that causes tremors, balance problems and speech issues. The mom of three was diagnosed four years ago by a neurologist."She told me to stand up, walk, she rotated my arms and hands, and she said, yes, you have Parkinson's," Debora Bergstrom said.Many people wait years before getting that diagnosis. Doctors physically examine patients for the telltale symptoms to formulate their conclusion, but their observations aren?t always accurate.Forty percent of Parkinson?s patients are undiagnosed and at least 10 percent who are diagnosed don?t really have it. Doctor Louise Thomson says a new imaging test called DATscan is giving doctors a glimpse inside the Parkinson?s brain. First, doctors inject patients with a tracer. Then they scan the brain for dopamine, a chemical that Parkinson?s patients lack.Thomson says the test can tell doctors if the patient has Parkinson?s or just a tremor disorder, which is treated differently"This is a game changer. It?s going to lead to earlier diagnosis and clearer diagnosis for patients with tremors," Doctor Louise Thomson, MBChB, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center explained.An earlier diagnosis means patients can start treatments sooner, potentially slowing symptom development of this devastating disease. For William and Debora, every symptom-free day matters. Now , doctors are one step closer to figuring that out. The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by TheDenverChannel.com. By posting a comment you agree to accept our Terms of Use. Comments are moderated by the community. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Comments that are flagged by a set number of users will be automatically removed.

See the article here:
Medical Breakthrough: First Test To Show Parkinson's Disease

News Release

UB's Feng says the use of iPSCs was "a game-changer for Parkinson's disease. It finally allowed us to obtain the material we needed to study this disease."

Download JPEG

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Summary:

-- UB researchers have discovered how mutations in parkin disrupt proper function of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that controls body movement.

-- They found that parkin mutations disrupt the precise actions of dopamine and produce more free radicals, which in turn destroy the dopamine neurons, leading to Parkinson's disease.

-- This is the first study to use live human neurons to investigate what role parkin plays in Parkinson's disease; this dramatic advance was made possible by the use of induced pluripotent stem cells.

-- Funding was provided by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; the National Institutes of Health; SUNY REACH, a research network of SUNY academic medical centers; and NYSTEM, New York State's stem cell initiative.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Parkinson's disease researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure.

The results are published in the current issue of Nature Communications.

The UB findings reveal potential new drug targets for the disease as well as a screening platform for discovering new treatments that might mimic the protective functions of parkin. UB has applied for patent protection on the screening platform.

"This is the first time that human dopamine neurons have ever been generated from Parkinson's disease patients with parkin mutations," says Jian Feng, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the study's lead author.

As the first study of human neurons affected by parkin, the UB research overcomes a major roadblock in research on Parkinson's disease and on neurological diseases in general.

The problem has been that human neurons live in a complex network in the brain and thus are off-limits to invasive studies, Feng explains.

"Before this, we didn't even think about being able to study the disease in human neurons," he says. "The brain is so fully integrated. It's impossible to obtain live human neurons to study."

But studying human neurons is critical in Parkinson's disease, Feng explains, because animal models that lack the parkin gene do not develop the disease; thus, human neurons are thought to have "unique vulnerabilities."

"Our large brains may use more dopamine to support the neural computation needed for bipedal movement, compared to quadrupedal movement of almost all other animals," he says.

Since in 2007, when Japanese researchers announced they had converted human cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that could then be converted to nearly any cells in the body, mimicking embryonic stem cells, Feng and his UB colleagues saw their enormous potential. They have been working on it ever since.

"This new technology was a game-changer for Parkinson's disease and for other neurological diseases," says Feng. "It finally allowed us to obtain the material we needed to study this disease."

The current paper is the fruition of the UB team's ability to "reverse engineer" human neurons from human skin cells taken from four subjects: two with a rare type of Parkinson's disease in which the parkin mutation is the cause of their disease and two healthy subjects who served as controls.

"Once parkin is mutated, it can no longer precisely control the action of dopamine, which supports the neural computation required for our movement," says Feng.

The UB team also found that parkin mutations prevent it from tightly controlling the production of monoamine oxidase (MAO), which catalyzes dopamine oxidation.

"Normally, parkin makes sure that MAO, which can be toxic, is expressed at a very low level so that dopamine oxidation is under control," Feng explains. "But we found that when parkin is mutated, that regulation is gone, so MAO is expressed at a much higher level. The nerve cells from our Parkinson's patients had much higher levels of MAO expression than those from our controls. We suggest in our study that it might be possible to design a new class of drugs that would dial down the expression level of MAO."

He notes that one of the drugs currently used to treat Parkinson's disease inhibits the enzymatic activity of MAO and has been shown in clinical trials to slow down the progression of the disease.

Parkinson's disease is caused by the death of dopamine neurons. In the vast majority of cases, the reason for this is unknown, Feng explains. But in 10 percent of Parkinson's cases, the disease is caused by mutations of genes, such as parkin: the subjects with Parkinson's in the UB study had this rare form of the disease.

"We found that a key reason for the death of dopamine neurons is oxidative stress due to the overproduction of MAO," explains Feng. "But before the death of the neurons, the precise action of dopamine in supporting neural computation is disrupted by parkin mutations. This paper provides the first clues about what the parkin gene is doing in healthy controls and what it fails to achieve in Parkinson's patients."

He noted in this study that these defects are reversed by delivering the normal parkin gene into the patients' neurons, thus offering hope that these neurons may be used as a screening platform for discovering new drug candidates that could mimic the protective functions of parkin and potentially even lead to a cure for Parkinson's.

While the parkin mutations are only responsible for a small percentage of Parkinson's cases, Feng notes that understanding how parkin works is relevant to all Parkinson's patients. His ongoing research on sporadic Parkinson's disease, in which the cause is unknown, also points to the same direction.

In addition to Feng, co-authors are Houbo Jiang, PhD, Yong Ren, PhD, Eunice Y. Yuen, all research assistant professors at UB; Ping Zhong, PhD, research scientist, Mahboobe Ghaedi, PhD, postdoctoral associate, Zhixing Hu, PhD, postdoctoral associate, and Zhen Yan, PhD, professor, all of the UB Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Other co-authors are Gissou Azabdaftari, MD, of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Kazuhiro Nakaso, MD, of Tottori University in Japan.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.

See the original post here:
Parkinson's Disease: Study of Live Human Neurons Reveals the Disease's Genetic Origins, New Drug Targets

News Release

UB's Feng says the use of iPSCs was "a game-changer for Parkinson's disease. It finally allowed us to obtain the material we needed to study this disease."

Download JPEG

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Summary:

-- UB researchers have discovered how mutations in parkin disrupt proper function of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that controls body movement.

-- They found that parkin mutations disrupt the precise actions of dopamine and produce more free radicals, which in turn destroy the dopamine neurons, leading to Parkinson's disease.

-- This is the first study to use live human neurons to investigate what role parkin plays in Parkinson's disease; this dramatic advance was made possible by the use of induced pluripotent stem cells.

-- Funding was provided by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; the National Institutes of Health; SUNY REACH, a research network of SUNY academic medical centers; and NYSTEM, New York State's stem cell initiative.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Parkinson's disease researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure.

The results are published in the current issue of Nature Communications.

The UB findings reveal potential new drug targets for the disease as well as a screening platform for discovering new treatments that might mimic the protective functions of parkin. UB has applied for patent protection on the screening platform.

"This is the first time that human dopamine neurons have ever been generated from Parkinson's disease patients with parkin mutations," says Jian Feng, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the study's lead author.

As the first study of human neurons affected by parkin, the UB research overcomes a major roadblock in research on Parkinson's disease and on neurological diseases in general.

The problem has been that human neurons live in a complex network in the brain and thus are off-limits to invasive studies, Feng explains.

"Before this, we didn't even think about being able to study the disease in human neurons," he says. "The brain is so fully integrated. It's impossible to obtain live human neurons to study."

But studying human neurons is critical in Parkinson's disease, Feng explains, because animal models that lack the parkin gene do not develop the disease; thus, human neurons are thought to have "unique vulnerabilities."

"Our large brains may use more dopamine to support the neural computation needed for bipedal movement, compared to quadrupedal movement of almost all other animals," he says.

Since in 2007, when Japanese researchers announced they had converted human cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that could then be converted to nearly any cells in the body, mimicking embryonic stem cells, Feng and his UB colleagues saw their enormous potential. They have been working on it ever since.

"This new technology was a game-changer for Parkinson's disease and for other neurological diseases," says Feng. "It finally allowed us to obtain the material we needed to study this disease."

The current paper is the fruition of the UB team's ability to "reverse engineer" human neurons from human skin cells taken from four subjects: two with a rare type of Parkinson's disease in which the parkin mutation is the cause of their disease and two healthy subjects who served as controls.

"Once parkin is mutated, it can no longer precisely control the action of dopamine, which supports the neural computation required for our movement," says Feng.

The UB team also found that parkin mutations prevent it from tightly controlling the production of monoamine oxidase (MAO), which catalyzes dopamine oxidation.

"Normally, parkin makes sure that MAO, which can be toxic, is expressed at a very low level so that dopamine oxidation is under control," Feng explains. "But we found that when parkin is mutated, that regulation is gone, so MAO is expressed at a much higher level. The nerve cells from our Parkinson's patients had much higher levels of MAO expression than those from our controls. We suggest in our study that it might be possible to design a new class of drugs that would dial down the expression level of MAO."

He notes that one of the drugs currently used to treat Parkinson's disease inhibits the enzymatic activity of MAO and has been shown in clinical trials to slow down the progression of the disease.

Parkinson's disease is caused by the death of dopamine neurons. In the vast majority of cases, the reason for this is unknown, Feng explains. But in 10 percent of Parkinson's cases, the disease is caused by mutations of genes, such as parkin: the subjects with Parkinson's in the UB study had this rare form of the disease.

"We found that a key reason for the death of dopamine neurons is oxidative stress due to the overproduction of MAO," explains Feng. "But before the death of the neurons, the precise action of dopamine in supporting neural computation is disrupted by parkin mutations. This paper provides the first clues about what the parkin gene is doing in healthy controls and what it fails to achieve in Parkinson's patients."

He noted in this study that these defects are reversed by delivering the normal parkin gene into the patients' neurons, thus offering hope that these neurons may be used as a screening platform for discovering new drug candidates that could mimic the protective functions of parkin and potentially even lead to a cure for Parkinson's.

While the parkin mutations are only responsible for a small percentage of Parkinson's cases, Feng notes that understanding how parkin works is relevant to all Parkinson's patients. His ongoing research on sporadic Parkinson's disease, in which the cause is unknown, also points to the same direction.

In addition to Feng, co-authors are Houbo Jiang, PhD, Yong Ren, PhD, Eunice Y. Yuen, all research assistant professors at UB; Ping Zhong, PhD, research scientist, Mahboobe Ghaedi, PhD, postdoctoral associate, Zhixing Hu, PhD, postdoctoral associate, and Zhen Yan, PhD, professor, all of the UB Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Other co-authors are Gissou Azabdaftari, MD, of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Kazuhiro Nakaso, MD, of Tottori University in Japan.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.

See the original post here:
Parkinson's Disease: Study of Live Human Neurons Reveals the Disease's Genetic Origins, New Drug Targets

CLEVELAND, Feb. 14, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to study the interactions between genomics and Parkinson's disease, Cleveland Clinic has joined the ongoing efforts of 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, to recruit Parkinson's patients to participate in research by contributing their DNA to a research database and completing online surveys about their health.

Currently, little is known about how genes relate to Parkinson's disease, the effectiveness of treatments, or the natural course of the disease. The goal of this collaborative research effort – which also has support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the National Parkinson Foundation and the Parkinson's Institute – is to discover how genes and the environment influence Parkinson's disease.

"We are aware of the limitations of today's treatments, so we are always thinking about what we can do to advance the care of this incurable disease," said Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration. "This collaboration will help us to learn more about the genomics of Parkinson's disease and how it may impact individualized care in the future."

The project is part of Cleveland Clinic's personalized healthcare initiative, which aims to drive discoveries that allow medical professionals to better predict risk for disease and response to therapies, with the ultimate goal to improve patient care.

"We are offering this opportunity to our patients because as part of our 'Patients First' mission, we feel it is an important collaboration that could lead to improvements in our ability to predict and treat Parkinson's disease," said Kathryn Teng, M.D., Director of the Center for Personalized Healthcare at Cleveland Clinic. "Donating saliva, blood or tissue for research is a form of 'Patient Philanthropy.' It empowers our patients to participate in medical research and discoveries that can improve healthcare for themselves and others."

Patients who volunteer for the study will be asked to provide a saliva sample for DNA analysis and agree to participate in online surveys about their experience with Parkinson's. 23andMe hopes to enroll 10,000 participants total; Cleveland Clinic expects to enroll about 1,000 patients toward this goal.

"The quality of the research will depend heavily on sample size. Patient enrollment and participation is critical to the success of the project," said Ryan Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

Patients who take part in the study will be enrolled in 23andMe's Parkinson's Disease Research Community, which will allow them to engage online with other Parkinson's patients and provides full access to 23andMe's Personal Genome Service.

23andMe first assembled its Parkinson's disease research initiative in June 2009. Within an 18-month period, 23andMe assembled and analyzed genetic data from more than 3,400 Parkinson's patients and successfully replicated the top 20 previously known genetic associations with Parkinson's disease in addition to determining new genetic associations for Parkinson's. Those findings were published in PLOS Genetics in June 2011. That study identified two novel loci, rs6812193 near SCARB2 and rs11868035 near SREBF1/RA11 and replicated those loci in an independent data cohort from the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS) database.

"We are very excited to be partnering with Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Machado. Integrating their clinical care with our online research model creates the opportunity for a new paradigm of medical research, that will ultimately benefit individuals with Parkinson's Disease," said Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe.  "Participants enrolled through the Cleveland Clinic will join the more than 6,500 individuals with Parkinson's disease already in our research community – the largest cohort of Parkinson's patients in the world."

Participation is free and voluntary. Those who take part in the study will be identified by a unique code, not by their names, in order to protect their privacy. Participants can choose to receive a report summarizing the genes identified in their DNA, though these findings will not be placed in their medical record.

"Patients volunteering for the study are unlikely to benefit directly, but they can have a sizable role in improving care for future patients. That's what this partnership is all about for us," said Hubert Fernandez, M.D., Section Head, Movement Disorders at Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration.

To facilitate participation in the registry, Cleveland Clinic has detailed information and dedicated computer portals set up at locations where Parkinson's patients are most likely to be visiting, including main campus in Cleveland and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. Two additional locations, Cleveland Clinic's Lakewood Hospital (Lakewood, Ohio) and Cleveland Clinic Florida (Weston, Fla.), will be enrolling patients as well. Patients can also email Cleveland Clinic at parkinsons@ccf.org or 23andMe at pd-help@23andme.com for more details or to sign up.

For more information about the research study, visit https://www.23andme.com/pd/.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and opening in 2013, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org/.  Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome Service® enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at http://www.23andme.com.

See the rest here:
Cleveland Clinic Joins 23andMe in the Search for Genetic Clues to Parkinson's Disease

By a GenomeWeb staff reporter

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Cleveland Clinic today said that it will recruit Parkinson's disease patients for 23andMe and the consumer genetics firm's ongoing research efforts in that area.

The patients will be recruited to contribute their DNA to 23andMe's research database and complete online surveys regarding their health. Participants will be enrolled in 23andMe's Parkinson's Disease Research Community, enabling them to engage with other Parkinson's patients while getting full access to 23andMe's Personal Genome Service.

Cleveland Clinic said the project is part of its own personalized healthcare initiative, which seeks to better predict risk for disease and response to therapies.

"We are offering this opportunity to our patients because as part of our 'Patients First' mission, we feel it is an important collaboration that could lead to improvements in our ability to predict and treat Parkinson's disease," Kathryn Teng, director of the Center for Personalized Healthcare at Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement.

23andMe began a research collaboration in March 2009 with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center aimed at enrolling 10,000 people to be part of its Parkinson's Disease Research Community.

That collaboration led to a study published last year in PLoS Genetics that identified two new loci contributing to Parkinson's disease risk. The genome-wide association study involved 3,426 individuals with Parkinson's disease enrolled over an 18-month period.

23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki said that the firm already has more than 6,500 individuals with Parkinson's disease in its research community, which she said is the largest cohort of Parkinson's disease patients in the world. Cleveland Clinic said that it expects to add about 1,000 patients to the program.

The rest is here:
Cleveland Clinic to Recruit Parkinson's Patients for 23andMe

CLEVELAND, Feb. 14, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to study the interactions between genomics and Parkinson's disease, Cleveland Clinic has joined the ongoing efforts of 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, to recruit Parkinson's patients to participate in research by contributing their DNA to a research database and completing online surveys about their health.

Currently, little is known about how genes relate to Parkinson's disease, the effectiveness of treatments, or the natural course of the disease. The goal of this collaborative research effort – which also has support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the National Parkinson Foundation and the Parkinson's Institute – is to discover how genes and the environment influence Parkinson's disease.

"We are aware of the limitations of today's treatments, so we are always thinking about what we can do to advance the care of this incurable disease," said Andre Machado, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration. "This collaboration will help us to learn more about the genomics of Parkinson's disease and how it may impact individualized care in the future."

The project is part of Cleveland Clinic's personalized healthcare initiative, which aims to drive discoveries that allow medical professionals to better predict risk for disease and response to therapies, with the ultimate goal to improve patient care.

"We are offering this opportunity to our patients because as part of our 'Patients First' mission, we feel it is an important collaboration that could lead to improvements in our ability to predict and treat Parkinson's disease," said Kathryn Teng, M.D., Director of the Center for Personalized Healthcare at Cleveland Clinic. "Donating saliva, blood or tissue for research is a form of 'Patient Philanthropy.' It empowers our patients to participate in medical research and discoveries that can improve healthcare for themselves and others."

Patients who volunteer for the study will be asked to provide a saliva sample for DNA analysis and agree to participate in online surveys about their experience with Parkinson's. 23andMe hopes to enroll 10,000 participants total; Cleveland Clinic expects to enroll about 1,000 patients toward this goal.

"The quality of the research will depend heavily on sample size. Patient enrollment and participation is critical to the success of the project," said Ryan Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

Patients who take part in the study will be enrolled in 23andMe's Parkinson's Disease Research Community, which will allow them to engage online with other Parkinson's patients and provides full access to 23andMe's Personal Genome Service.

23andMe first assembled its Parkinson's disease research initiative in June 2009. Within an 18-month period, 23andMe assembled and analyzed genetic data from more than 3,400 Parkinson's patients and successfully replicated the top 20 previously known genetic associations with Parkinson's disease in addition to determining new genetic associations for Parkinson's. Those findings were published in PLOS Genetics in June 2011. That study identified two novel loci, rs6812193 near SCARB2 and rs11868035 near SREBF1/RA11 and replicated those loci in an independent data cohort from the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS) database.

"We are very excited to be partnering with Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Machado. Integrating their clinical care with our online research model creates the opportunity for a new paradigm of medical research, that will ultimately benefit individuals with Parkinson's Disease," said Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe.  "Participants enrolled through the Cleveland Clinic will join the more than 6,500 individuals with Parkinson's disease already in our research community – the largest cohort of Parkinson's patients in the world."

Participation is free and voluntary. Those who take part in the study will be identified by a unique code, not by their names, in order to protect their privacy. Participants can choose to receive a report summarizing the genes identified in their DNA, though these findings will not be placed in their medical record.

"Patients volunteering for the study are unlikely to benefit directly, but they can have a sizable role in improving care for future patients. That's what this partnership is all about for us," said Hubert Fernandez, M.D., Section Head, Movement Disorders at Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration.

To facilitate participation in the registry, Cleveland Clinic has detailed information and dedicated computer portals set up at locations where Parkinson's patients are most likely to be visiting, including main campus in Cleveland and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. Two additional locations, Cleveland Clinic's Lakewood Hospital (Lakewood, Ohio) and Cleveland Clinic Florida (Weston, Fla.), will be enrolling patients as well. Patients can also email Cleveland Clinic at parkinsons@ccf.org or 23andMe at pd-help@23andme.com for more details or to sign up.

For more information about the research study, visit https://www.23andme.com/pd/.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and opening in 2013, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org/.  Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome Service® enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at http://www.23andme.com.

See the rest here:
Cleveland Clinic Joins 23andMe in the Search for Genetic Clues to Parkinson's Disease

By a GenomeWeb staff reporter

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Cleveland Clinic today said that it will recruit Parkinson's disease patients for 23andMe and the consumer genetics firm's ongoing research efforts in that area.

The patients will be recruited to contribute their DNA to 23andMe's research database and complete online surveys regarding their health. Participants will be enrolled in 23andMe's Parkinson's Disease Research Community, enabling them to engage with other Parkinson's patients while getting full access to 23andMe's Personal Genome Service.

Cleveland Clinic said the project is part of its own personalized healthcare initiative, which seeks to better predict risk for disease and response to therapies.

"We are offering this opportunity to our patients because as part of our 'Patients First' mission, we feel it is an important collaboration that could lead to improvements in our ability to predict and treat Parkinson's disease," Kathryn Teng, director of the Center for Personalized Healthcare at Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement.

23andMe began a research collaboration in March 2009 with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center aimed at enrolling 10,000 people to be part of its Parkinson's Disease Research Community.

That collaboration led to a study published last year in PLoS Genetics that identified two new loci contributing to Parkinson's disease risk. The genome-wide association study involved 3,426 individuals with Parkinson's disease enrolled over an 18-month period.

23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki said that the firm already has more than 6,500 individuals with Parkinson's disease in its research community, which she said is the largest cohort of Parkinson's disease patients in the world. Cleveland Clinic said that it expects to add about 1,000 patients to the program.

The rest is here:
Cleveland Clinic to Recruit Parkinson's Patients for 23andMe

FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- Susie Glickman is an amazing line dancer.

It’s not because she can execute the Cupid Shuffle or the Electric Slide better than most.

Rather, it is because every step takes extra effort now that this 67-year-old Fairhope woman has Parkinson’s disease.

“I have it on my left side,” said Glickman, who was diagnosed with the chronic, progressive movement disorder in 2007. “I went in to see my doctor because my left arm didn’t feel like it was part of my body. When I found out it was Parkinson’s, I was shocked. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the disease.”

At first glance, Glickman’s condition isn’t obvious.

While moving a little slower these days, Glickman is fairly nimble. But this spunky grandmother struggles with tremors, weakness and balance issues.

Turning pages can be tiresome — or downright impossible. Often, she succumbs to exhaustion.

Nevertheless, Glickman considers herself lucky.

“The mid 60s is the prime age to get Parkinson’s,” she said. “It usually progresses slowly when you are diagnosed in your 60s. But the younger you have it, the faster it progresses.”

Glickman manages to move steadily while leading line-dancing classes in Mobile and Baldwin counties. The Los Angeles native also moonlights as a part-time joke writer for longtime employer and close friend Dolly Parton.

“I used to be Dolly’s personal secretary,” she proclaimed, her eyes dancing with delight. “Now I write the jokes she uses at her appearances.”

Today, Glickman has combined her dancing and writing talents to pursue her latest passion: educating others about Parkinson’s.

Glickman recently wrote, produced, choreographed and starred in “Dancing Feet Help Defeat Parkinson’s,” a 4-minute, 9-second video featuring 175 dancers at the James P. Nix Adult Activity Center in Fairhope doing the “Parkinson’s Disease Stomp Line Dance.”

She entered the short film in the American Academy of Neurology Foundation’s third annual Film Festival competition to raise awareness about why more research is needed to cure brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, autism, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Judges will select the first- and second-place winners and the third-place winner will be chosen by popular vote. Nearly 300 films have been submitted since the festival began in 2010 and Glickman’s video is among 104 in this year’s contest.

Voting opened last week and people can view and vote for their favorite video through March 8 at http://www.NeuroFilmFestival.com.

The winner of the “Fan Favorite” award will receive a certificate and recognition at the 2012 Neuro Film Festival on April 22 in New Orleans. The festival will be held in conjunction with the foundation’s 64th annual meeting, the world’s largest meeting of neurologists with 10,000 attendees.

“My goal is to get as many people aware of this as possible and then get them to vote,” Glickman said. “We have a really good chance of winning because of the video’s originality.”

In the film, a room packed with men and women wearing bright red T-shirts and white pants follow Glickman in a dance set to the tune “Jingle Bells.”

As the video begins, participants shuffle their feet and wave their arms in unison, following Glickman’s lead. Before the song plays, Glickman’s voice can be heard reciting “The Parkinson’s Plea,” a poem she penned.

Then the music begins: “Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s, it’s a brain disease. Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s brings us to our knees. Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s makes our bodies freeze. Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s, help us cure it please ...”

Nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms. The primary motor signs of Parkinson’s disease include the following.

Tremor of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face. Bradykinesia, or slowness of movement. Rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk. Postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.

Glickman is hopeful her film will place in the top three. But, she says, “I think the video already is a winner.”

She asked Parkinson’s patients, their families and caregivers as well as friends from church and her line-dancing students in Fairhope and Mobile to appear in the video.

“I solicited everyone in town,” she said.

When the day of filming arrived, Glickman was overwhelmed.

“We had 175 people in the room and I didn’t know they would come until they showed up — and the mood was captured perfectly,” she said. “Most of the people didn’t line dance, but it turned out to be amazing.”

Glickman has been working for Parton since the 1970s, convincing the entertainer to hire her after showing up consistently at several of Parton’s California appearances, offering her lyric writing services.

“I told everyone I would be working for Dolly Parton one day,” Glickman said. “Eventually, Dolly said, ‘Give that squirrelly fan a job.’”

Glickman moved to Fairhope in the 1980s after working with Baldwin County native and author Fannie Flagg on Parton’s television show.

“I got sand in my shoes and that was it,” she said.

Parkinson’s may have slowed Glickman’s gait. But neither age, nor a progressive neurological disease can erode Glickman’s determination.

The same tenacity that landed her a job with Parton years ago is evident in her recent project.

“I truly believe that if you put your mind to something, you can get it done,” said Glickman, flashing a smile. “This film was a dream of mine.”

By LESLEY FARREY PACEY, Correspondent

See the original post:
Fairhope Parkinson's patient enters film in contest to awareness of disease

FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- Susie Glickman is an amazing line dancer.

It’s not because she can execute the Cupid Shuffle or the Electric Slide better than most.

Rather, it is because every step takes extra effort now that this 67-year-old Fairhope woman has Parkinson’s disease.

“I have it on my left side,” said Glickman, who was diagnosed with the chronic, progressive movement disorder in 2007. “I went in to see my doctor because my left arm didn’t feel like it was part of my body. When I found out it was Parkinson’s, I was shocked. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the disease.”

At first glance, Glickman’s condition isn’t obvious.

While moving a little slower these days, Glickman is fairly nimble. But this spunky grandmother struggles with tremors, weakness and balance issues.

Turning pages can be tiresome — or downright impossible. Often, she succumbs to exhaustion.

Nevertheless, Glickman considers herself lucky.

“The mid 60s is the prime age to get Parkinson’s,” she said. “It usually progresses slowly when you are diagnosed in your 60s. But the younger you have it, the faster it progresses.”

Glickman manages to move steadily while leading line-dancing classes in Mobile and Baldwin counties. The Los Angeles native also moonlights as a part-time joke writer for longtime employer and close friend Dolly Parton.

“I used to be Dolly’s personal secretary,” she proclaimed, her eyes dancing with delight. “Now I write the jokes she uses at her appearances.”

Today, Glickman has combined her dancing and writing talents to pursue her latest passion: educating others about Parkinson’s.

Glickman recently wrote, produced, choreographed and starred in “Dancing Feet Help Defeat Parkinson’s,” a 4-minute, 9-second video featuring 175 dancers at the James P. Nix Adult Activity Center in Fairhope doing the “Parkinson’s Disease Stomp Line Dance.”

She entered the short film in the American Academy of Neurology Foundation’s third annual Film Festival competition to raise awareness about why more research is needed to cure brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, autism, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Judges will select the first- and second-place winners and the third-place winner will be chosen by popular vote. Nearly 300 films have been submitted since the festival began in 2010 and Glickman’s video is among 104 in this year’s contest.

Voting opened last week and people can view and vote for their favorite video through March 8 at http://www.NeuroFilmFestival.com.

The winner of the “Fan Favorite” award will receive a certificate and recognition at the 2012 Neuro Film Festival on April 22 in New Orleans. The festival will be held in conjunction with the foundation’s 64th annual meeting, the world’s largest meeting of neurologists with 10,000 attendees.

“My goal is to get as many people aware of this as possible and then get them to vote,” Glickman said. “We have a really good chance of winning because of the video’s originality.”

In the film, a room packed with men and women wearing bright red T-shirts and white pants follow Glickman in a dance set to the tune “Jingle Bells.”

As the video begins, participants shuffle their feet and wave their arms in unison, following Glickman’s lead. Before the song plays, Glickman’s voice can be heard reciting “The Parkinson’s Plea,” a poem she penned.

Then the music begins: “Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s, it’s a brain disease. Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s brings us to our knees. Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s makes our bodies freeze. Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s, help us cure it please ...”

Nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms. The primary motor signs of Parkinson’s disease include the following.

Tremor of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face. Bradykinesia, or slowness of movement. Rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk. Postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.

Glickman is hopeful her film will place in the top three. But, she says, “I think the video already is a winner.”

She asked Parkinson’s patients, their families and caregivers as well as friends from church and her line-dancing students in Fairhope and Mobile to appear in the video.

“I solicited everyone in town,” she said.

When the day of filming arrived, Glickman was overwhelmed.

“We had 175 people in the room and I didn’t know they would come until they showed up — and the mood was captured perfectly,” she said. “Most of the people didn’t line dance, but it turned out to be amazing.”

Glickman has been working for Parton since the 1970s, convincing the entertainer to hire her after showing up consistently at several of Parton’s California appearances, offering her lyric writing services.

“I told everyone I would be working for Dolly Parton one day,” Glickman said. “Eventually, Dolly said, ‘Give that squirrelly fan a job.’”

Glickman moved to Fairhope in the 1980s after working with Baldwin County native and author Fannie Flagg on Parton’s television show.

“I got sand in my shoes and that was it,” she said.

Parkinson’s may have slowed Glickman’s gait. But neither age, nor a progressive neurological disease can erode Glickman’s determination.

The same tenacity that landed her a job with Parton years ago is evident in her recent project.

“I truly believe that if you put your mind to something, you can get it done,” said Glickman, flashing a smile. “This film was a dream of mine.”

By LESLEY FARREY PACEY, Correspondent

See the original post:
Fairhope Parkinson's patient enters film in contest to awareness of disease

February 14, 2012, 4:03 PM EST

By Nicole Ostrow

Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Tai chi, a Chinese martial art of precise, gentle movements, helps patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease improve their balance, a study found.

Patients who did tai chi twice a week for six months had improvement in steadiness that was 2.5 times greater than those who engaged in resistance training and 4 times greater than those who did only stretching exercise, according to research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Doctors recommend exercise for patients with Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes trembling, stiffness and balance impairment and increases the risk of falls, the authors wrote. Tai chi, known for its series of exact postures that flow one into the next, requires concentration and weight shifting that may have extra benefits for those with mild to moderate Parkinson’s, said lead study author Fuzhong Li.

“We have clearly shown that tai chi has the potential to help patients ease some of the movement disorder,” Li, a senior research scientist at the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, Oregon, said in a Feb. 6 telephone interview. “It will definitely help people improve their balance. My recommendation would be to build it into daily activity.”

The study is the first to show that an alternative form of exercise can benefit Parkinson’s patients, Li said.

Tai chi uses a set of slow, self-initiated movements to move people away from their base of support in a controlled fashion, he said. Resistance training is more like aerobics and uses less conscientious movements, Li said.

10 Million Affected

About 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year and as many as 10 million people worldwide are living with the disorder, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, based in New York. Men are more probable than women to have the disease.

Researchers in the study included 195 patients with mild- to-moderate Parkinson’s disease. The patients were assigned to participate in tai chi, resistance training or stretching for 60 minutes twice a week for 24 weeks.

Those in the tai chi group improved in how far they could shift their center of gravity without falling by 15 percent over the course of the study, while those in the resistance group improved 6 percent. Those who were in the stretching group had a 4 percent decline over the study period, Li said.

The research indicated that participants in the tai chi group performed better on movement control, showing a 12 percent improvement, while those in the resistance training group declined 4 percent and the people in the stretching group dropped 5 percent, Li said.

Better Than Stretching

The tai chi group performed better than the stretching group in walking and strength. They also fell less than those who stretched. There was no difference in falls between the resistance group and the tai chi group, the paper showed.

The findings will receive a lot of attention in the Parkinson’s community, said Blair Ford, medical adviser with the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and a professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University in New York.

“Tai chi and probably equivalent methods are helpful at improving balance and decreasing falls and that’s very, very important for Parkinson’s disease,” Ford said in a Feb. 7 telephone interview. The study “might just get tai chi on the map as a conjunctive treatment for Parkinson’s. Medications alone don’t prevent falling.”

Andrew Feigin, a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease at the North Shore-LIJ Medical Group in Great Neck, New York, said the findings give scientific backing to doctor recommendations that patients try exercises like tai chi to improve balance.

“Balance and gait are problems that people with Parkinson’s disease have,” said Feigin, who wasn’t an author of today’s paper, in a Feb. 6 telephone interview. “Things like stretching and resistance aren’t really working on balance. Tai chi really focuses on improvements in balance. It’s nice to get some actual data that shows doing those things can be helpful.”

--Editors: Angela Zimm, Bruce Rule

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net

The rest is here:
Tai Chi Makes Parkinson’s Patients Steadier on Feet, Study Says

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6e1829/global_parkinsons) has announced the addition of the "Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012" report to their offering.

Fore Pharma's latest report Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012 is an outline of all the key research and development (R&D) activities of the global parkinson's disease drug market. It covers information on key pipeline molecules in various stages of R&D including all the phases of clinical trials, preclinical research, and drug discovery. The report is up-to-date with full coverage of the licensing activities and partnerships.

This report helps executives to keep a track of their competitors and understand their pipeline molecules. The information presented in this report can be used for identifying the partners, prioritizing, evaluating opportunities, developing business development strategies, and executing in-licensing and out-licensing deals.

The report provides information on pipeline molecules by company and mechanism of action across the different stages of R&D. It includes registered / preregistered stage, phase 3 clinical trial, phase 2 clinical trial, phase 1 clinical trial, preclinical research, and drug discovery. It also provides information on pipeline molecules developed in leading geographies including the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, U.K., Italy, and Spain by various stages of R&D. Licensing activities and partnerships in the parkinson's disease drug market is thoroughly covered by company and licensee with the deal summary.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Parkinson's Disease: Disease Definition

2. Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Overview

3. Parkinson's Disease Phase 3 Clinical Trial Drug Pipeline Insights

4. Parkinson's Disease Phase 2 Clinical Trial Drug Pipeline Insights

5. Parkinson's Disease Phase 1 Clinical Trial Drug Pipeline Insights

6. Parkinson's Disease Preclinical Research Drug Pipeline Insights

7. Parkinson's Disease Drug Discovery Pipeline Insights

8. Geographic Landscape of Parkinson's Disease R&D Activities

8.1 Parkinson's Disease R&D Activities in North America

8.2 Parkinson's Disease R&D Activities in Europe

9 Licensing Activities / Partnerships in the Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Market

10 Research Methodology

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6e1829/global_parkinsons

Read the original:
Research and Markets: Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6e1829/global_parkinsons) has announced the addition of the "Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012" report to their offering.

Fore Pharma's latest report Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012 is an outline of all the key research and development (R&D) activities of the global parkinson's disease drug market. It covers information on key pipeline molecules in various stages of R&D including all the phases of clinical trials, preclinical research, and drug discovery. The report is up-to-date with full coverage of the licensing activities and partnerships.

This report helps executives to keep a track of their competitors and understand their pipeline molecules. The information presented in this report can be used for identifying the partners, prioritizing, evaluating opportunities, developing business development strategies, and executing in-licensing and out-licensing deals.

The report provides information on pipeline molecules by company and mechanism of action across the different stages of R&D. It includes registered / preregistered stage, phase 3 clinical trial, phase 2 clinical trial, phase 1 clinical trial, preclinical research, and drug discovery. It also provides information on pipeline molecules developed in leading geographies including the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, U.K., Italy, and Spain by various stages of R&D. Licensing activities and partnerships in the parkinson's disease drug market is thoroughly covered by company and licensee with the deal summary.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Parkinson's Disease: Disease Definition

2. Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Overview

3. Parkinson's Disease Phase 3 Clinical Trial Drug Pipeline Insights

4. Parkinson's Disease Phase 2 Clinical Trial Drug Pipeline Insights

5. Parkinson's Disease Phase 1 Clinical Trial Drug Pipeline Insights

6. Parkinson's Disease Preclinical Research Drug Pipeline Insights

7. Parkinson's Disease Drug Discovery Pipeline Insights

8. Geographic Landscape of Parkinson's Disease R&D Activities

8.1 Parkinson's Disease R&D Activities in North America

8.2 Parkinson's Disease R&D Activities in Europe

9 Licensing Activities / Partnerships in the Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Market

10 Research Methodology

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6e1829/global_parkinsons

Read the original:
Research and Markets: Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012