Cleveland Clinic Joins 23andMe in the Search for Genetic Clues to Parkinson’s Disease

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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.

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

Cleveland Clinic to Recruit Parkinson’s Patients for 23andMe

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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.

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Cleveland Clinic to Recruit Parkinson's Patients for 23andMe

Mayo researchers: Genetic mutation linked to Parkinson’s disease – Video

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16-08-2011 08:53 Researchers have discovered a new gene mutation they say causes Parkinson's disease. The mutation was identified in a large Swiss family with Parkinson's disease, using advanced DNA sequencing technology. The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, was led by neuroscientists at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida and included collaborators from the US, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Asia and the Middle East. "This finding provides an exciting new direction for Parkinson's disease research," says co-author Zbigniew Wszolek, MD, a Mayo Clinic neuroscientist. "Every new gene we discover for Parkinson's disease opens up new ways to understand this complex disease, as well as potential ways of clinically managing it." The team found that mutations in VPS35, a protein responsible for recycling other proteins within cells, caused Parkinson's disease in the Swiss family. Mutated VPS35 may impair the ability of a cell to recycle proteins as needed, which could lead to the kind of errant buildup of protein seen in some Parkinson's disease brains and in other diseases like Alzheimer's disease says co-author Owen Ross, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "In fact, expression of this gene has been shown to be reduced in Alzheimer's disease, and faulty recycling of proteins within cells has been linked to other neurodegenerative diseases," he says. In this video, Dr. Wszolek and Dr. Ross discuss Parkinson's disease and the study.

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Mayo researchers: Genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's disease - Video

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

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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

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

Fairhope Parkinson’s patient enters film in contest to awareness of disease

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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

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Fairhope Parkinson's patient enters film in contest to awareness of disease

Taylor French on Medical Cannabis for Parkinson’s Disease – Video

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12-09-2011 16:02 Taylor French before and after treatments of Medical Cannabis for Parkinson's Disease. Please help us to save Taylor's life and make him healthy again. Any help on your part will aid him and provide hope for others who are afflicted with this terrible disease. Make checks payable to Health Village Seminars (Bank of America) and email frenchtaylor@gmail.com so we can keep track. Send donations and ship items to: Health Village Seminars, c/o Taylor French 2936 Calle Frontera, San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone 949-842-9291 Thanks so much in advance for your help, Mike Paulus (long time friend), Janet (caregiver)

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Taylor French on Medical Cannabis for Parkinson's Disease - Video

Emese’s (30) early stage secondary Parkinson’s disease symtoms (anoxic-ischemic brain injury) – Video

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12-10-2011 04:21 Demonstration of early stage secondary Parkinson's disease symptoms (slurry speech, trouble initiating movements, loosing balance) on a 30 year old woman, who lost almost all of her putamen (part of the basal ganglia) on both sides of the brain resulting from the lack of oxygen in the injured part of her brain. The professional term for her injury is anoxic-ischemic brain injury. You can read up her story and make donations here: http://www.gofundme.com Join the free Facebook group I set up for her for following updates (www.facebook.com Date of Accident: June 7th, 2011. Video taken: Oct. 12th, 2011

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Emese's (30) early stage secondary Parkinson's disease symtoms (anoxic-ischemic brain injury) - Video

Parkinson’s Disease: Advancing Stem Cell Therapies – 2011 CIRM Grantee Meeting – Video

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09-11-2011 14:00 Olga Momcilovic speaks at the 2011 CIRM Grantee Meeting about the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to better understand the causes of Parkinson's and to develop therapies. Momcilovic is a CIRM Scholar and postdoctoral research fellow at the Buck Institute located in Novato, California.

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Parkinson's Disease: Advancing Stem Cell Therapies - 2011 CIRM Grantee Meeting - Video

Parkinson’s Disease and The Argentine Tango – Video

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31-10-2011 12:11 The Tango as Physical Therapy Parkinson's Disease. Performing at the Parkinson walk in Rome, GA for fundraising to increase PD awareness. Choreographer and Researcher, Madeleine Hackney Ph.D., Emory School of Medicine leads the performance with partner Ben Jackson, a Person with Parkinson's who was diagnosed at the age of 28. Clinical research studies continue to demonstrate physical benefits of the Argentine Tango for People with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's Disease is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. PD symptoms are cognitive and non-motor as well as the more commonly recognized movement disorder symptoms. The CDC reports Parkinson's as the underlying cause of death for more than 20000 Americans every year. Currently, there is no treatment for Parkinson's Disease, and there is no cure. There is only treatment for certain symptoms of PD, all of which progress every day. See how you can help, Please visit gaparkinsons.org today!

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Parkinson's Disease and The Argentine Tango - Video

Medical Update: Update on Parkinson’s

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09-11-2011 20:24 Andrew Feigin, MD, neurologist at Cushing Neuroscience Institute's Movement Disorders Center and Director of the Experimental Therapeutic at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research explains the distinctions and brings us the latest information on current treatments and experimental therapies for Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. We meet a patient and his caregiver wife who both must cope with living with the under-publicized Huntington's disease everyday.

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Medical Update: Update on Parkinson's

Meridian Neuroscience – Deep Brain Stimulation – Anthony Farinella: Parkinson’s Disease – Video

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11-01-2012 15:26 Anthony Farinella: Parkinson's disease From Monroe, NJ / Treated at Riverview Medical Center Parkinson's disease disabled Anthony for over 15 years. Dr. Peter Zahos and the expert care team at Riverview Medical Center in New Jersey gave him his life back through deep brain stimulation (DBS). http://www.meridianneuroscience.com

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Meridian Neuroscience - Deep Brain Stimulation - Anthony Farinella: Parkinson's Disease - Video