Washington, May 3 : Researchers are developing a preventive therapy to halt symptoms in Parkinson's patients. <\/p>\n
Parkinson's disease is characterized by a gradual loss of neurons that produce dopamine. Mutations in the gene known as DJ-1 lead to accelerated loss of dopaminergic neurons and result in the onset of Parkinson's symptoms at a young age. <\/p>\n
The ability to modify the activity of DJ-1 could change the progress of the disease, said Dr. Nirit Lev, a researcher at Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and a movement disorders specialist at Rabin Medical Center. <\/p>\n
Working in collaboration with Profs. Dani Offen and Eldad Melamed, Dr. Lev has now developed a peptide which mimics DJ-1's normal function, thereby protecting dopamine- producing neurons. What's more, the peptide can be easily delivered by daily injections or absorbed into the skin through an adhesive patch. <\/p>\n
Based on a short protein derived from DJ-1 itself, the peptide has been shown to freeze neurodegeneration in its tracks, reducing problems with mobility and leading to greater protection of neurons and higher dopamine levels in the brain. <\/p>\n
Dr. Lev said that this method could be developed as a preventative therapy. <\/p>\n
As we age, we naturally lose dopamine-producing neurons. Parkinson's patients experience a rapid loss of these neurons from the onset of the disease, leading to much more drastic deficiencies in dopamine than the average person. <\/p>\n
Preserving dopamine-producing neurons can mean the difference between living life as a Parkinson's patient or aging normally, said Dr. Lev. <\/p>\n
The researchers set out to develop a therapy based on the protective effects of DJ-1, using a short peptide based on the healthy version of DJ-1 itself as a vehicle. <\/p>\n
'We attached the DJ-1-related peptide to another peptide that would allow it to enter the cells, and be carried to the brain,' explained Dr. Lev. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Continue reading here: Washington, May 3 : Researchers are developing a preventive therapy to halt symptoms in Parkinson's patients. Parkinson's disease is characterized by a gradual loss of neurons that produce dopamine Continue reading
\nSoon, therapy to freeze Parkinson's in its tracks<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"