Pig cell Parkinson’s treatment okayed

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Pig cells will be transplanted into the brains of New Zealanders with Parkinson's disease as part of an experimental treatment of the neurological disorder.

Kiwi scientists will undertake the clinical trial after Living Cell Technologies, which has its research and development based in this country, got the go-ahead to test the treatment in humans next year.

Government approval was given this week for the trial.

'Receiving regulatory approval to conduct clinical trials is a critical step in developing a treatment for this debilitating condition,' said the company's chief executive Andrea Grant said in a statement.

She says pre-clinical trials suggest the treatment, known as NTCELL, can protect brain tissue which would otherwise die, potentially delaying or preventing the effects of Parkinson's.

Only those who have been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease for at least four years will be part of the study, which will last for up to 60 weeks.

The trial will involve patients getting either the pig cells or the current gold standard of treatment - deep brain stimulation.

The leader of Auckland District Health Board's movement disorder clinic, Barry Snow, will oversee the trial.

'This represents an exciting new potential option for patients,' Dr Snow said.

Pre-clinical studies had shown improvement in movement and neurological defects and a rise in dopamine-producing neurons within two weeks of treatment.

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Parkinson’s Disease Cure May Be In Stem Cell Research, But..

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 04 Oct 2012 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Parkinson's Disease Cure May Be In Stem Cell Research, But..

3.67 (3 votes)

An advanced stem cell growth solution that may potentially lead to a search for a Parkinson's cure, according to a communiqu released today by Rainbow Biosciences. The company is working towards having such technology on the market as soon as possible.

Scientists say that ethical dilemmas and government restrictions have made stem cell research breakthrough much more difficult to achieve. Add to this the difficulty in controlling stem cell behavior in the lab, and the task seems even harder.

Rainbow Biosciences says that one way to accelerate research projects and make them advance more efficiently is to increase the availability of top-quality adult stem cells for research.

Rainbow says it is working on this. It is in discussions with Regenetech regarding acquiring a license to perform cell expansion using its Rotary Cell Culture System, which was originally developed by NASA.

Rainbow Biosciences wrote:

The company would like to bring the bioreactor to "emerging research markets" which do not face as many regulatory roadblocks. They say this will help activate "billions of dollars' worth of research" into potential cures for Parkinson's disease, as well as some the disorders of the nervous system.

Rainbow Biosciences says that this new addition to the stem cell research world will compete alongside industry giants, such as Amgen Inc., Celgene Corporation, Gilead Sciences Inc., and Gynzyme Corp.

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Genes behind Parkinson’s disease identified

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Washington, October 6 (ANI): Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) investigators have conducted the first genome-wide evaluation of genetic variants associated with Parkinson's disease (PD).

The study points to the involvement of specific genes and alterations in their expression as influencing the risk for developing PD.

Jeanne Latourelle, DSc, assistant professor of neurology at BUSM, served as the study's lead author and Richard H. Myers, PhD, professor of neurology at BUSM, served as the study's principal investigator and senior author.

A recent paper by the PD Genome Wide Association Study Consortium (PDGC) confirmed that an increased risk for PD was seen in individuals with genetic variants in or near the genes SNCA, MAPT, GAK/DGKQ, HLA and RIT2, but the mechanism behind the increased risk was not determined.

"One possible effect of the variants would be to change the manner in which a gene is expressed in the brains, leading to increased risk of PD," said Latourelle.

To investigate the theory, the researchers examined the relationship between PD-associated genetic variants and levels of gene expression in brain samples from the frontal cortex of 26 samples with known PD and 24 neurologically healthy control samples.

Gene expression was determined using a microarray that screened effects of genetic variants on the expression of genes located very close to the variant, called cis-effects, and genes that are far from the variant, such as those on a completely different chromosome, called trans-effects.

An analysis of the cis-effects showed that several genetic variants in the MAPT region showed a significant association to the expression of multiple nearby genes, including gene LOC644246, the duplicated genes LRRC37A and LRRC37A2 and the gene DCAKD.

Significant cis-effects were also observed between variants in the HLA region on chromosome 6 and two nearby genes HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQA1. An examination of trans-effects revealed 23 DNA sequence variations that reached statistical significance involving variants from the SNCA, MAPT and RIT2 genes.

"The identification of the specific altered genes in PD opens opportunities to further study them in model organisms or cell lines with the goal of identifying drugs which may rectify the defects as treatment for PD," said Myers.

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Dance for Parkinson’s kicks off its fourth year with visit from Mark Morris Dance Group

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SEATTLE, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Laughter and joy are classroom staples at a popular dance class that combines live music and dance instruction from world-class professional dancers. Dance for Parkinson's inspires those living with Parkinson's disease (PD) to explore the benefits of dance and movement with others who share some of the challenging symptoms of the disease.

Dance for Parkinson's was initiated in the Northwest by Seattle Theatre Group in partnership with EvergreenHealth and Spectrum Dance Theater, later expanding to include Northwest Parkinson's Foundation and Des Moines Senior Center. Classes are offered in Kirkland (Peter Kirk Community Center), Seattle (Garfield Community Center) and Des Moines (Des Moines Senior Center).

EvergreenHealth is one of the first healthcare organizations in the nation to provide this program, hosting a quarterly series of classes each year since 2009.

Classes are free of charge, are led by professional dancers, and engage students in dance styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap and world dance to address PD-specific concerns such as balance, flexibility, coordination, isolation and depression. No dance experience is required, and the fun, uplifting classes are a welcome respite from the stress of Parkinson's on participants and caregivers.

"The ability to help Parkinson's patients reclaim independent movement through creative dance is effective therapy not just physically, but emotionally," said Dr. Juan Aragon, Director of Medical Specialties and Medical Staff at EvergreenHealth. "Dancers leave the class glowing and truly inspired, which is beautiful to see in our patients."

A new 8-week fall season will kick-off with a special visit from David Leventhal, former principal dancer for Mark Morris Dance Group from 1997-2011 and Program Manager for Dance for PD in New York City.

Dance for PD was born of collaboration between Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinson's Group Executive Director Olie Westheimer in 2001, with global expansion taking off in 2005. Today, classes are held across the United States and the world, including Tel Aviv and Auckland. A Seattle native, Mark Morris is the Artistic Director of the internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, New York.

"Although participants from all over the world tell us they find elements of the class therapeutic, the primary goal of our program is for people to enjoy dance for dancing's sake in a group settingand to explore the range of physical and creative possibilities that are still very much open to them," said David Leventhal.

Leventhal is visiting Seattle to host a seminar for health professionals, physical therapists, social workers, senior program professionals and any member of the public who is interested in learning more about the unique approach of this community arts and health program. The seminar will be held at Garfield Community Center on Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and will incorporate a live class to demonstrate the benefits of the program for participants.

"We're so pleased to see the Mark Morris Dance Group's initial partnership with Seattle Theatre Group, EvergreenHealth and Spectrum Dance Theater blossom into such a strong, high-quality program with multiple sites reaching multiple districts in the Seattle area," said Leventhal. "The success of the Seattle program shows just how effective arts and health programs can be when organizations that share an innovative vision work together collaboratively."

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Parkinson’s could be detected by telephone call

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New technology being developed in America analyses tremors, breathiness and other weaknesses in people's voices which are believed to be one of the condition's earliest symptoms.

Experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claim that their computer programme can pick out Parkinson's sufferers with 99 per cent accuracy simply by analysing their speech.

Dr Max Little, a British researcher who is leading the initiative at MIT, now hopes to determine whether the same results could be produced from a patient speaking over the telephone.

By recruiting Parkinson's patients and health volunteers to take part in a three-minute telephone call where they will say "ah", speak some sentences and answer a few questions, he said the system could be programmed to diagnose people remotely, allowing earlier treatment.

He said: "Science tells us voice impairment might be an early sign of Parkinson's. It sounds counterintuitive as Parkinson's is a movement disorder but the voice is a form of movement.

"Neurologists look at changes in the ability to move, which is done with the limbs, but we are looking in the vocal organs the sounds that come out of the mouth. We are fairly confident we can detect the disease over the telephone."

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Parkinson’s Patients Benefit From Physical Therapy

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy Article Date: 05 Oct 2012 - 4:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Physical Therapy

3.5 (6 votes)

In the USA, the term is Physical Therapy. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australasia people say Physiotherapy.

Parkinson's disease management has traditionally been centered on drug therapy. Recently, however, doctors have been progressively embracing rehabilitation therapies, including physical therapy as a supplement to medications and neurosurgical treatment.

Dr Claire Tomlinson and team set out to determine what effect rehabilitation therapies might have on patients with Parkinson's disease. They gathered data from 39 randomized trials involving 1,827 people. Within those studies they assessed a wide range of physical therapy methods that were used to treat patients, including dance, treadmill training, exercises and physical therapy.

The researchers assessed 18 physical therapy outcomes, which showed clear improvements in nine areas.

They detected three especially positive outcomes from physical therapy treatment in the following areas:

Parkinson's patients demonstrated that they were able to walk faster or maintain their balance more effectively, and without intervention, after undergoing physical therapy sessions.

Dr Tomlinson, said:

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Dancing through Parkinson’s

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Written by Karen Kovacs Dydzuhn Friday, 21 September 2012 10:30

Although people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease face many physical challenges, this oft debilitating illness cannot rob its victims of the joy of dancing. Moreover, when patients engage in creative movements set to music on a regular basis, there are inevitably great improvements to their overall physicality and brain functions.

Recent research has shown a strong correlation between dancing and short- and long- improvements in the range of motion, gait, balance, hand movements and rigidity in facial muscles for those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, said Dr. J. Antonelle de Marcaida of Eastern Connecticut Neurology Specialists.

Marcaida led a discussion about the relationship between dance and Parkinson's disease during the Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD program at Fairfield University.

Led by David Leventhal of the Mark Morris Dance Group, more than 50 individuals with Parkinson's and their care partners participated in two dance sessions at Fairfield's Quick Center for the Arts. A company dancer for 14 years, Leventhal is pleased to devote himself full time to this program since his retirement last year. Since 2011, Dance for PD classes have been held in the United States and abroad.

"The dancers in the class are so eager to learn, so open and so courageous to the way they approach the movements," Leventhal explained.

After the Mark Morris Dance Group performed to an enthusiastic crowd at the Quick Center Saturday, the company's founder, Mark Morris, answered questions from the audience. About Dance for PD, Morris said those with Parkinson's disease do not leave the dance class feeling the way they did when they first walked in the doors of the Brooklyn studio.

"It's a 'fix' in that they want more of it," Morris said.

Accompanied by a pianist playing an eclectic mix of music show tunes, standards and classical participants begin the class in a seated position. Leventhal said that if they chose, they could experience the entire class in the chair.

"This is a dance class and we are here to have fun," he said. "And, you know your bodies best. So, if something doesn't feel right, don't do it, or modify it."

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West county community briefs: Parkinson’s disease lecture to be offered

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CAMARILLO

Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

A presentation on Parkinson's disease will provide individuals with information about current opportunities for clinical trials in Ventura County. This free presentation will be offered Tuesday 1-3 p.m. at the Camarillo Health Care District, 3639 E. Las Posas Road.

A question and answer period will follow the lecture.

For more information or to register, call 388-1952, ext. 100.

Speaker to discuss family harmony

Caroline Prijatel-Sutton will speak at the Soroptimist International of Camarillo meeting from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Thursday at Ric's Restaurant, 2500 Las Posas Road.

Prijatel-Sutton is the executive director of the Coalition of Family Harmony.

The nonprofit provides direct services to victims of domestic violence, helps prevent the cycle of violence and sexual assault and educates the community on violence against women, children and men.

For information on the coalition, visit http://www.thecoalition.org. For more information, visit http://www.soroptimistcamarillo.org. Breakfast is $15. Call 987-4053 to make a reservation.

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West county community briefs: Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

Van Andel Institute Research Symposium Showcases Latest Developments In Parkinson’s Research

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Van Andel Institute (VAI) hosts a scientific symposium September 19-20 that gathers some of the world's most noted experts in Parkinson's disease and reinforces the region's growing reputation in the field of Parkinson's research.

Grand Challenges in Parkinson's Disease features experts from a dozen nations including Australia, Malaysia and Sweden. The purpose of the event is to showcase the latest research in the field and to honor Andrew B. Singleton, Ph.D., of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the first Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson's Disease Research.

"This is truly a gathering of some of the world's greatest minds in Parkinson's disease research," said chief event organizer Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Jay Van Andel Translational Parkinson's Disease Research Laboratory and Director of Van Andel Institute's Center for Neurodegenerative Science. "We will be sharing the results of recent and ongoing research that will become the building blocks for therapies that may be commonplace a decade from now."

The event features keynote addresses by noted Parkinson's experts Ted Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., of The Johns Hopkins University, who will speak on the topic of Looking Forward to Tomorrow's Therapies for Parkinson's Disease, and Roger Barker, Ph.D., of University of Cambridge, who will speak on Matching Therapies to Patients: The Complexities of Disease Heterogeneity in Parkinson's Disease.

Dr. Andrew Singleton is best known for his work aimed at understanding the genetic causes of Parkinson's disease work that is opening entire new fields of research.

His first well-known work described the discovery of a duplication and triplication of the alpha-synuclein gene that causes a severe, early-onset form of Parkinson's disease. Scientists already knew that a few extremely rare mutant forms of the protein were bad, but Dr. Singleton showed that too much of the normal protein also has ramifications.

One year later he led the group that was the first to identify mutations in the LRRK2 gene as a cause of familial Parkinson's disease. Occasionally new mutations arise in this gene, which can explain some of the cases of the more common, sporadic Parkinson's disease.

For more information, please visit http://www.vai.org

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Acupuncture May Benefit Parkinson’s Patients

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine Article Date: 20 Sep 2012 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Acupuncture May Benefit Parkinson's Patients

4.75 (4 votes)

The scientists explained that several studies had shown that acupuncture treatment relieved symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease in human and animal subjects. Some studies using fMRI had found that neural responses in extensive brain regions were much lower among Parkinson's patients compared to healthy individuals. Brain areas particularly affected by Parkinson's include the thalamus, putamen, and the supplementary motor area.

Scientists have been carrying out more and more studies on the possible therapeutic benefits of acupuncture. An article published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) in September 2012 found that acupuncture may help in the treatment of chronic pain.

Yeo, S., Lim and team used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to measure what the specific effects of needling acupuncture point GB34 (Yanglinqquan) were on parts of the brain that are affected by Parkinson's Disease.

Certain brain centers become too inactive in people with Parkinson's disease. The authors explained that acupuncture seems to reactivate them.

The authors divided the participants into two groups:

Acupuncture reactivated neural activity in the basal ganglia, substiantia nigra, thalamus, putamen (not shown) and caudate (not shown).

The authors wrote:

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Parkinson’s Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Article Date: 21 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

4 (3 votes)

Parkinson's Disease is a brain disorder characterized by tremors and difficulty walking. Eventually stiffness becomes prominent, muscles become weaker, and posture is affected. Many studies have recommended certain rehabilitation paths, acupuncture being one of them..

In a new study published in PLOS One, findings suggest further studies should be completed to investigate visual, auditory, and tactile signals and their role in rehabilitation.

A team of collaborators led by Ervin Sejdic, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Pittsburgh studied the effects of a mechanically produced beat using different stimuli, on 15 healthy adults ages 18 to 30. Participants took part in two separate sessions of five 15-minute trials in which they walked with different cues.

During the first session, participants walked at their own pace. Then, in later trials, the patients walked to a metronomic beat made by either visuals, touch or sound. Lastly, they walked with all three signals simultaneously with the pace that was set by the first trial.

Sejdic commented:

Regarding Parkinson's Disease, there is a big question whether researchers can become better informed about changes that come with this deterioration. This study suggests visual signals could be considered as a substitute approach in rehabilitation and need to be explored additionally in the laboratory.

Sejdic explains that a large limitation to their studies is the confinement of the laboratory. With Parkinson's Disease, patients can complete a walking test easily, and shortly thereafter, fall down in an outside environment. A real-life space will need to be created to account for sidewalks, streetlights, and noises such as cars honking, in order to obtain a more accurate gait measure (manner of walking).

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Research and Markets: Global Parkinson’s Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule – 2012 Update

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6lkdr4/global) has announced the addition of the "Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012 Update" report to their offering.

Fore Pharma's latest report 'Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012 Update' provides most up-to-date information on key Research and Development activities (R&D) in the global Parkinson's Disease market. It covers active Parkinson's Disease pipeline molecules in various stages of clinical trials, preclinical research, and drug discovery.

This report helps executives track competitors pipeline molecules. The information presented in this report can be used for identifying partners, evaluating opportunities, formulating business development strategies, executing in-licensing and out-licensing deals.

The report provides information on pipeline molecules by company and mechanism of action across the R&D stages. It also provides information on pipeline molecules developed in leading geographies (North America and Europe). Licensing activities are thoroughly captured in this report.

Key Features of the Report:

- Parkinson's Disease: Overview

- Parkinson's Disease Pipeline Overview

- Parkinson's Disease Phase 3 Clinical Trial Pipeline Insights

- Parkinson's Disease Phase 2 Clinical Trial Pipeline Insights

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Research and Markets: Global Parkinson's Disease Drug Pipeline Capsule - 2012 Update

Parkinson’s Drug Mirapex Under Safety Review

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Parkinsons Disease and Restless Legs Syndrome Drug Under Review for Heart Failure Risk

Sept. 19, 2012 -- The FDA is investigating a possible risk of heart failure linked to Mirapex, a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome.

Officials say recent studies suggest a potential raised risk of heart failure with the use of Mirapex, but further review of research is needed.

The FDAs safety alert stops short of an official warning announcement for the drug. The agency has not concluded that Mirapex raises the risk of heart failure.

Instead, the FDA says it is working with Mirapexs manufacturer to clarify the risk of heart failure and will update the public when more information is available.

Meanwhile, officials say people taking Mirapex should continue to take the drug as prescribed and contact their health care provider with any questions or concerns.

The alert comes after the FDA pooled results from clinical trials, and analysis suggests heart failure was more common among people taking Mirapex than those taking a placebo.

They also evaluated two population studies that suggested a higher risk of new cases of heart failure among Mirapex users. However, officials say limitations of the studies make it difficult for them to determine whether the risk was related to Mirapex or other factors.

The FDA is continuing to review safety data on Mirapex.

Officials recommend people taking the drug contact a health care professional if they experience any symptoms of heart failure while taking Mirapex, such as:

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Parkinson’s researcher at NIH is first honored with award named for Jay Van Andel

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI A National Institutes of Health researcher who has uncovered genetic causes of Parkinsons disease today became the first to receive an honor named after Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel.

Dr. Andrew Singleton was honored with the Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Parkinsons Disease Research during a research symposium at Van Andel Institute.

Jay Van Andel, who died of the effects of Parkinsons in 2004, would have been pleased with the first recipient of the award named after him, said his son, David Van Andel, VAI chairman and chief executive officer.

Dr. Andrew Singleton is the type of scientist he would have envisioned honoring bold, pioneering and working to make a difference in human lives, David Van Andel said.

Singletons accomplishments include the discovery of a duplication and triplication of a gene that causes a severe, early-onset form of Parkinsons.

Scientists already knew that a few extremely rare mutant forms of the protein were bad, but Dr. Singleton showed us that too much of the normal protein also has ramifications, Van Andel said.

Singleton also led a group of researchers that identified mutations in a gene as a cause of familial Parkinsons disease.

His discoveries opened new fields of Parkinsons research, Van Andel said. Singletons lab has research programs investigating genetic diversity and the consequences of genetic alterations.

VAI today began a two-day symposium bringing together experts in Parkinsons disease research to showcase the latest developments.

This is truly a gathering of some of the worlds greatest minds in Parkinsons disease research, said Dr. Patrik Brundin, the chair of the Jay Van Andel Translational Parkinsons Disease Research Laboratory. The research shared at the conference will become the building blocks for therapies that may be commonplace a decade from now.

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Discovery May Improve Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

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WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Four indicators, or "biomarkers," found in cerebrospinal fluid can help differentiate patients with Alzheimer's disease from those with other forms of dementia, and a different biomarker can distinguish patients with Parkinson's disease from those with parkinsonian disorders, researchers say.

Overlapping symptoms, especially in the early stages, can make it difficult to distinguish between regular Parkinson's disease and atypical Parkinsonism, and also between Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, the study authors explained.

The investigators identified the five biomarkers by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid samples from 453 patients with Parkinson's, Parkinson's disease with dementia, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

"Together with earlier published data, our results indicate that these five [cerebrospinal fluid] biomarkers might have clinical value in the differential diagnosis of dementia and/or parkinsonism," concluded Dr. Sara Hall, of Skane University Hospital in Sweden, and colleagues.

The study was published online Aug. 27 in the journal Archives of Neurology.

The findings represent "a significant step forward, demonstrating how a relatively modest panel of robust [cerebrospinal fluid] protein biomarkers can categorize dementias and parkinsonian syndromes on the basis of pathology rather than clinical/behavioral changes," Dr. Richard Perrin, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, wrote in an accompanying editorial.

The use of these indicators in cerebrospinal fluid could improve the efficiency of clinical trials and speed up the development and evaluation of new treatments for neurological diseases, Perrin concluded.

-- Robert Preidt

Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, news release, Aug. 27, 2012

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Pittsburgh-area couple awarded for work with Parkinson’s disease patients

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Tom and Carol Reid, of Plum, have been living with Parkinsons disease for 17 years, but its how they are helping others with the disorder that has earned them a big honor.

They will be awarded with the Local Hero award Saturday from the Davis Phinney Foundation.

Carol Reid remembers when she started noticing a change in her husband.

He was losing facial expression. I didn't know what that meant. I just felt like you know, you're not responding to me, she said. He was drooling. His eyes were watering. He was falling often.

Tom Reid went to the family doctor and was given Claritin for his watery eyes.

It took two years to get a second opinion and a diagnosis of Parkinsons, a neurodegenerative disease.

I was in a classical case of denial, said Tom.

Symptoms involve loss of motor control, affecting speech and movement.

Tom was a captain in the Army before becoming a corporate attorney. He enjoyed public speaking and using what he and his wife called his command voice.

Parkinsons has changed that.

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Pittsburgh-area couple awarded for work with Parkinson's disease patients

Therapeutic avenues for Parkinson’s investigated at UH

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Public release date: 23-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Lisa Merkl lkmerkl@uh.edu 713-743-8192 University of Houston

HOUSTON, Aug. 23, 2012 Scientists at the University of Houston (UH) have discovered what may possibly be a key ingredient in the fight against Parkinson's disease.

Affecting more than 500,000 people in the U.S., Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system marked by a loss of certain nerve cells in the brain, causing a lack of dopamine. These dopamine-producing neurons are in a section of the midbrain that regulates body control and movement. In a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers from the UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling (CNRCS) demonstrated that the nuclear receptor liver X receptor beta (LXRbeta) may play a role in the prevention and treatment of this progressive neurodegenerative disease.

"LXRbeta performs an important function in the development of the central nervous system, and our work indicates that the presence of LXRbeta promotes the survival of dopaminergic neurons, which are the main source of dopamine in the central nervous system," said CNRCS director and professor Jan-ke Gustafsson, whose lab discovered LXRbeta in 1995. "The receptor continues to show promise as a potential therapeutic target for this disease, as well as other neurological disorders."

To better understand the relationship between LXRbeta and Parkinson's disease, the team worked with a potent neurotoxin, called MPTP, a contaminant found in street drugs that caused Parkinson's in people who consumed these drugs. In lab settings, MPTP is used in murine models to simulate the disease and to study its pathology and possible treatments.

The researchers found that the absence of LXRbeta increased the harmful effects of MPTP on dopamine-producing neurons. Additionally, they found that using a drug that activates LXRbeta receptors prevented the destructive effects of MPTP and, therefore, may offer protection against the neurodegeneration of the midbrain.

"LXRbeta is not expressed in the dopamine-producing neurons, but instead in the microglia surrounding the neurons," Gustafsson said. "Microglia are the police of the brain, keeping things in order. In Parkinson's disease the microglia are overactive and begin to destroy the healthy neurons in the neighborhood of those neurons damaged by MPTP. LXRbeta calms down the microglia and prevents collateral damage. Thus, we have discovered a novel therapeutic target for treatment of Parkinson's disease."

###

Gustafsson, professor Margaret Warner, research assistant professor Xin-Jie Tan, and postdoctoral fellows Wanfu Wu and Yubing Dai authored the PNAS study, which is available at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/07/18/1210833109.abstract.

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Sleep improves memory in Parkinson’s patients

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Researchers have shown that people with Parkinson's disease performed markedly better on a test of working memory after a night's sleep, and sleep disorders can interfere with that benefit.

While the classic symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremors and slow movements, Parkinson's can also affect someone's memory, including "working memory."

Working memory is defined as the ability to temporarily store and manipulate information, rather than simply repeat it. The use of working memory is important in planning, problem solving and independent living.

The findings underline the importance of addressing sleep disorders in the care of patients with Parkinson's, and indicate that working memory capacity in patients with Parkinson's potentially can be improved with training. The results also have implications for the biology of sleep and memory.

"It was known already that sleep is beneficial for memory, but here, we've been able to analyze what aspects of sleep are required for the improvements in working memory performance," said postdoctoral fellow Michael Scullin, who is the first author of the paper.

The performance boost from sleep was linked with the amount of slow wave sleep, or the deepest stage of sleep. Several research groups have reported that slow wave sleep is important for synaptic plasticity, the ability of brain cells to reorganize and make new connections.

Sleep apnea, the disruption of sleep caused by obstruction of the airway, interfered with sleep's effects on memory. Study participants who showed signs of sleep apnea, if it was severe enough to lower their blood oxygen levels for more than five minutes, did not see a working memory test boost.

54 study participants had Parkinson's disease, and 10 had dementia with Lewy bodies: a more advanced condition, where patients may have hallucinations or fluctuating cognition as well as motor symptoms. Those who had dementia with Lewy bodies saw no working memory boost from the night's rest. As expected, their baseline level of performance was lower than the Parkinson's group.

Participants with Parkinson's who were taking dopamine-enhancing medications saw their performance on the digit span test jump up between the fourth and fifth test. On average, they could remember one more number backwards. The ability to repeat numbers backward improved, even though the ability to repeat numbers forward did not.

Patients needed to be taking dopamine-enhancing medications to see the most performance benefit from sleep. Patients not taking dopamine medications, even though they had generally had Parkinson's for less time, did not experience as much of a performance benefit. This may reflect a role for dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, in memory.

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Perelman School of Medicine Granted $11.9 Million Renewal of NINDS Support for Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease …

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PHILADELPHIA Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine will receive $11.9 million over the next five years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for the Penn Udall Center for Parkinsons Disease (PD) research. This grant is a renewal of an NINDS funded PD center that successfully completed its research program over the last five years.

Parkinsons is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, second only to Alzheimer's disease in the number of people affected. Estimates suggest that approximately 1,000,000 Americans have PD.

Cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction and dementia add to the burden of PD and increase mortality, but the underlying basis of dementia in PD is unclear. There are no effective disease modifying therapies. Despite important research advances, the exact causes of PD, Parkinsons with dementia (PDD), and dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) are unknown. To address this, a NINDS Morris K. Udall Parkinsons Disease Research Center of Excellence was launched at Penn in 2007.

This renewal for years six through ten of the Penn Udall Center builds on recent progress advancing researchers understanding of the progression of PDD from normal cognition to cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction and dementia in PDD, and disease progression in DLB, in addition to central nervous system degeneration mediated by progressive accumulations of pathological alpha-synuclein.

Recent Penn Udall Center studies raise the provocative, but highly plausible possibility that the progression of PD/PDD/DLB is linked to the cell-to-cell spread of pathological alpha-synuclein. Therefore, the overarching goals of the Penn Udall Center are to explore mechanisms of disease progression and alpha-synuclein transmission through collaborations between basic and translational research projects that work with each of the cores to implement the mission of the Penn Udall Center in the renewal period.

"The Penn Udall Center will elucidate mechanisms of cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction and dementia in Parkinsons Disease as well as mechanisms of neurodegeneration that are mediated by the transmission of alpha-synuclein pathologies, said Center Director John Trojanowski, MD, PhD, director of Penn's Institute on Aging and professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine. By using new approaches and model systems to achieve its goals, the Penn Udall Center will investigate novel disease mechanisms in Parkinsons and advance efforts to develop new interventions and better diagnostics for this disorder.

The Penn Udall Center is based on 20 years of basic research on neurodegenerative diseases within the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and clinical programs at the Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Center, both within Penn Medicine.

The Udall Centers of Excellence were developed in honor of former Congressman Morris K. Udall, who died in 1998 after a long battle with Parkinsons disease. The first center was named in 1997.

The Udall Center renewal grant (P50 NS053488) will include four core groups focusing on clinical care: neuropathology, biomarker and genetics; data management, biostatistics and bioinformatics; and administration. Planned projects will look for an immune therapy to block PD transmission in animal models, biomarkers to evaluate and predict cognitive decline in Lewy Body spectrum disorders, language and executive dysfunction in PD, and how transmission of alpha-synuclein occurs in neurons. The Penn Udall Center team includes John Trojanowski, MD, PhD, Howard Hurtig, MD, Dan Weintraub, MD, Vivianna Van Deerlin, MD, PhD, Edward B. Lee, MD, PhD, Sharon Xie, PhD, Li-San Wang, PhD, Alice Chen-Plotkin, MD, Murray Grossman, MD, PhD, Rachel Gross, MD, Kelvin Luk, PhD, and Virginia M-Y Lee, PhD, MBA.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

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Perelman School of Medicine Granted $11.9 Million Renewal of NINDS Support for Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease ...

Pedaling for Parkinson’s: A workout that can help reduce shaking, tremors

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Ed McCaskey has lived with Parkinsons disease for six years, and now hes trying to help others like him mitigate some of their symptoms through exercise.

McCaskey, 59, was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 2006. He lives in Roscoe, Ill., and he joined the Stateline Family YMCA Roscoe Branch the same year, and he typically works out five days a week.

Exercise has been found to help reduce some of the symptoms like shaking and tremors associated with Parkinsons. That is why the YMCA of Greater Cleveland in Ohio developed a program called Pedaling for Parkinsons with the help of Cleveland Clinic physician Dr. Jay L. Alberts, a staff member with the Biomedical Engineering Center for Neurological Restoration.

The program in which participants exercise on indoor spin/cycling bikes and tandem bikes launched earlier this year, and McCaskey read about it in a Parkinsons newsletter and pitched it to his local YMCA. Research by Cleveland Clinic showed a 35 percent reduction in symptoms with the act of pedaling a bicycle at a rapid pace optimally 80 to 90 revolutions per minute.

The YMCA staff in Roscoe, Ill., agreed, and the one-hour class will meet three days a week starting Sept. 24 through Nov. 16. Its free to YMCA members and nonmembers alike.

Some class participants may need a relative or friend to drive them to the class, and McCaskey said YMCA officials will let those people use the Y facilities free of charge while they wait during the class.

More than 1 million people nationally are living with Parkinsons disease, and nearly 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, according to the National Parkinson Foundation. Parkinsons is a chronic degenerative disease that occurs when nerve cells in parts of the brain stem die or degenerate.

McCaskey recently traveled to Washington state and tried the Pedaling for Parkinsons class there. It was pretty easy for the marathon runner and regular spin-class participant, but he said its a great opportunity for Parkinsons patients to get moving and realize the benefits of exercise.

Im still pretty lucky because my symptoms are minimal, McCaskey said. After a good workout, a lot of those symptoms dissipate for a good part of the day. The exercise recommendation came from my doctor, but following up on it really reinforces what he says. Im experiencing the positive benefits.

Melissa Westphal: 815-987-1341; at mwestpha@rrstar.com

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Pedaling for Parkinson's: A workout that can help reduce shaking, tremors