Bob Furst's List: Parkinson

• Once you start taking Sinemet you should take it 30 to 60 minutes before a meal
• Some people have found a high-carbohydrate plan to be so successful that they need less levodopa, so a physician needs to be involved to determine the correct amount.

• The compounds work by slamming the door on an unwelcome and destructive guest -- calcium. The compounds target and shut a relatively rare membrane protein that allows calcium to flood into dopamine neurons. Surmeier’s previously published research showed that calcium entry through this protein stresses dopamine neurons, potentially leading to premature aging and death. He also identified the precise protein involved -- the Cav1.3 channel.      

    
• isradipine
• isradipine
• isradipine ahead, as it offers a safe and potentially effective means of slowing the progression of Parkinson’s today

2 more annotations...

• ADDITIONAL MONITORING OF YOUR DOSE OR CONDITION
• dopamine receptor agonists (eg, pramipexole)

• Previous research over the past few years has used optogenetics in highly potent ways to study disorders such as anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. This new study now shows that a few neurons can be artificially stimulated to trigger an old memory, in essence controlling animal behavior without necessitating sensory input.
• However, the possibility of applying this technology to human brains is still distant. The first steps toward this possibility, though, have been taken. Researchers at Brown are developing a wireless optical electrode that is meant to deliver light to human neurons.

• We do this by taking photosynthetic and  photosensory proteins – found throughout the tree of life, in plants,  bacteria, fungi, and other species - that convert light into electrical  power.

• CoganeTM is currently being evaluated in a 400 patient  multi-national Phase II, randomised, double blind, placebo  controlled, dose ranging study (CONFIDENT-PD). The study has  been designed to compare the safety, tolerability and  efficacy of three doses of CoganeTM and placebo when  administered for 28 weeks to untreated patients with early  stage PD. The study will assess the efficacy of Cogane™ in  the treatment of both motor and non

• CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 3, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHTP) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has scheduled a meeting of the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee on February 23, 2012 to review the New Drug Application (NDA) for NORTHERA™ (droxidopa). Northera is an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine, for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH) in patients with primary autonomic failure (Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and pure autonomic failure), dopamine beta hydroxylase deficiency and non-diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

• The degree of efficacy is quite moderate and declines after six months. The  average improvement in Parkinson's Disease symptoms for all the dosages was about 27% after 3 months. This  improved slightly to about 31% after 6 months. The improvements started to  decline after that down to 29% after 1 year, and declined further down to only  23% after 2 years. Three dosages were assessed : 1x, 2x and 5x. The level of efficacy declined when  the higher 5x dosage was used. More results are expected in 2012 for the 5x  dose. An enhanced administration procedure that facilitates higher  dosing was used with some patients, but failed to demonstrate any additional  benefit.

• The novel methodology developed by the Cambridge researchers stemmed from the work of Professor John Sinclair and colleagues at the Department of Medicine in studying the ways in which common viruses – such as herpes – seek to survive and replicate in cells in the body. When these viruses invade a cell, a tiny component of the virus called the Beta2.7 gene guards the mitochondria from damage for an interval of time – typically five days – so that the virus can replicate and spread from cell to cell.
• Having identified the potential offered by the virus as an agent for ‘search and rescue’, Professor Sinclair collaborated with Professor Roger Barker and colleagues at the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair to see whether this novel protein/RNA complex could protect neurons from cell death associated with PD
• Using rat models, the results have been promising and resulted in a further tranche of research funding from the Michael J Fox Foundation to take work in the laboratory forward to help develop the novel therapeutic for eventual clinical use
• we don’t know what the dosages or frequency of treatment might need to be in treating humans,” said Professor Sinclair.
• can be delivered through an injection direct into the bloodstream, for example into the arm of the patient. T
• This new agent also appears to be non-immunogenic – in other words it does not trigger an immune response so it can be used repeatedly and should still maintain its potency. Finally, it appears to go only into the brain and nowhere else in the body and then to target only cells that are unwell.”

4 more annotations...

• esearchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison have announced progress on that front. Having created neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells, the researchers report that the cells were successfully transplanted into the hippocampus of the mice and were capable of both sending and receiving brain signals. The research marks progress towards the development of custom cells that could repair damaged or diseased brains.
• “We show for the first time that these transplanted cells can both listen and talk to surrounding neurons of the adult brain.