Parkinson’s podcast: stopping disease progression

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Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 9 July 2015

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In the second episode of the Portland Countdown podcast series, Dr Patrik Brundin and Dr Kimberley Gannon discuss how to stop ‘bad’ proteins attacking brain cells

Stopping disease progression: alpha synuclein

Special Guests: Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD and Kimberley Gannon, PhD

Basic researchers are hard at work trying to understand the pathology of Parkinson’s and discover new drug targets. One likely bad actor is a protein called alpha-synuclein.

Hosted by Dave Iverson and Jon Palfreman, Emmy award-winning journalists living with Parkinson’s disease, this episode looks into what we know about how alpha-synuclein kills brain cells and what might be done to stop it, with Dr Patrik Brundin and Dr Kimberley Gannon on hand to offer their expert opinions.

The aim of the Portland Countdown series is to give listeners new perspectives on the latest advances in Parkinson’s research and treatment.

The shows, developed by the World Parkinson Coalition, are aired online on the first Tuesday of every month from June 2015 to September 2016 – when the 4th World Parkinson Congress takes place in Portland, Oregon, USA. The entire series of podcasts will also be downloadable for free.

The full schedule of show topics and guest speaker profiles is available here

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Researchers at Purdue University, US, are studying a World War II chemical weapon antidote that they believe could be used to treat Parkinson’s. It is believed the antidote, called dimercaprol, may be able to remove acrolein – a toxin that poisons neurons and can lead to the development of Parkinson’s disease. In addition to this, researchers believe dimercaprol can increase the survival rate of brain cells, improve mobility and reduce symptoms of pain. Riyi Shi, professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Purdue University, said: “Our studies show that by removing the toxin (acrolein) from the brain, we are not just reducing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease but also significantly reversing the damage of Parkinson’s disease. This could actually provide a new treatment for Parkinson’s patients.”

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Researchers at the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, UK, have repurposed an experimental cancer drug – called tasquinimod – as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s. The study – funded by Parkinson’s UK and published in science journal ‘Cell Stem Cell’ – has been tested on a total of 10 patients so far. As part of the research, the study grew brain cells from donated skin cell samples of people living with a rare genetic form of Parkinson’s – this process was then repeated on people with a common non-genetic form of the condition. Researchers found that tasquinimod can block HDAC4, a protein that causes Parkinson’s genes to become inactive. Professor Richard Wade-Martins, co-lead author of the study, said: “We think that switching off these genes in brain cells may play a vital role in the cell damage and death that occurs in Parkinson’s.”

Research survey assesses impact of holidays on Parkinson’s symptoms

The Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands, is seeking participants for an online survey assessing the effects of a holiday on Parkinson’s. The study will assess whether a vacation can have physical and mental benefits for people living with the condition. It will also look at which specific factors, such as temperature and physical activity, can alleviate or increase symptoms. The Michael J Fox Foundation has approved the study’s protocol. Participants can sign up to complete the 20-minute survey online. The survey is open to anyone over 18 who has Parkinson’s and has been on vacation once or more between 1 June 2016 and 30 September 2018. Marjan Faber, the study’s daily supervisor, said: “If the study is able to identify decisive factors, those can act as a starting point for novel approaches in care for people with Parkinson’s disease.” To apply please visit research platform ParkinsonNEXT.

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Parkinson’s podcast: stopping disease progression

Resources & Tools

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 9 July 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Parkinson’s podcast: stopping disease progression

Resources & Tools

Author: Geoffrey ChangPublished: 9 July 2015

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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Comments

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