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12/21/2007 Depletion of One Antioxidant Linked to Parkinson's in Mice
In a paper published in the December 19, 2007 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists have shown that mice suffering from a depletion of the antioxidant glutathione in dopamine-producing neurons developed nerve damage and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease in humans.
12/21/2007 A Different Approach to Parkinson's
Two separate efforts, one funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, could lead to a new class of drugs to treat the neurodegenerative condition.
12/12/2007 Ceregene Presents Long-term Follow-up From Phase 1 Trial of CERE-120 in Parkinson's Disease
Data Suggest Continued Improvement in Motor Function at 24 Months
12/11/2007 VIDEO: Deep Brain Stimulation Helps Parkinson's Patient
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette offers a video (approximately five minutes long) of a person with Parkinson's disease receiving and benefiting from Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery.
12/04/2007 Relatives of People with Parkinson's Disease Face Increased Risk of Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Immediate relatives of people who have Parkinson's disease are at increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new study.
12/04/2007 Addex and Merck Target New Cure for Parkinson's
Merck & Co. has entered into an exclusive collaboration and licensing deal with Addex Pharma to collaborate on the discovery and preclinical development of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) for use in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
12/03/2007 Standing in the Way of Stem Cell Research
A new way to trick skin cells into acting like embryos changes both everything and nothing at all. Being able to reprogram skin cells into multipurpose stem cells without harming embryos launches an exciting new line of research. It's important to remember, though, that we're at square one, uncertain at this early stage whether souped-up skin cells hold the same promise as their embryonic cousins do.
11/29/2007 MJFF Appoints Senior Medical Advisor
The Michel J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has appointed Irene Hegeman Richard, MD, to the newly created position of Senior Medical Advisor, a sign that MJFF’s investment in clinical research will continue to increase.
11/26/2007 Stem Cell Developments Are Not Replacements
Amid all the hoopla over an exciting breakthrough in stem-cell research that uses skin cells instead of human embryos lies an important truth: The latest discovery should not replace research using embryonic stem cells.
11/20/2007 Solving the Insoluble Problem for Parkinson's
European scientists have developed a simple and cheap way to study protein aggregation in Parkinson's disease.
11/20/2007 Researchers Create Stem Cells Without Destroying Embryos
In the quest to treat difficult diseases, researchers have created human embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos or using hard-to-get eggs.
11/15/2007 MJFF-funded Scientists Find Peptide Therapy Can Prevent Progression Of Parkinson's Disease
Researchers funded under The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Community Fast Track 2003 initiative have successfully used a peptide to reverse biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of mouse models of Parkinson's disease.
11/15/2007 Scientists Use Monkey Clones to Extract Stem Cells
Researchers in Oregon are reporting that they used cloning to produce monkey embryos and then extracted stem cells from the embryos.
11/14/2007 AMA Recommends Public Cord Blood Banks
The American Medical Association voted to encourage mothers wishing to donate their babies' umbilical cord blood to give the blood to public cord blood banks.
11/14/2007 Orion Sues Sun Pharmaceuticals to Protect Patent on Stalevo
Finnish drugmaker Orion said it has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. against India-based group Sun Pharmaceuticals to protect a patent on Stalevo, its drug treatment for Parkinson's Disease.
11/14/2007 Ceregene Completes Enrollment of Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Parkinson's Disease
Ceregene, Inc. today announced that the company has completed enrollment of its randomized, controlled, double-blind, Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating CERE-120, a gene therapy product in development for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
11/08/2007 Exercise on the Brain
A New York Times Op-Ed lays out the increasingly compelling case for the role of physical activity in maintaining good cognitive function throughout life.
11/07/2007 Cough Medicine Fights Dyskinesias in Parkinson's
A cough suppressant and a drug tested as a schizophrenia therapy curb the involuntary movements that are disabling side effects of taking the Parkinson's disease medication levodopa, scientists have found.
11/04/2007 A Research Revolution
Former Intel CEO Andrew S. Grove says the pharmaceutical industry could learn a lot from the computer and chip businesses.
10/30/2007 Participants Left Uninformed in Some Halted Medical Trials
10/26/2007 Deep Brain Stimulation May Interfere with Decision-making
According to a new study from the University of Arizona, DBS may interfere with the brain's innate ability to deliberate on complicated decisions.
10/24/2007 Nicotine May Help Parkinson's Patients Control Movements
In a study released today, scientists report that primates treated with nicotine had significantly fewer episodes of dyskinesias compared to primates that did not receive nicotine.
10/23/2007 Mark Morris Dance Class Aids People with Parkinson's
The Mark Morris Dance Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, offers weekly classes for people with Parkinson's.
10/18/2007 Deborah Kerr Dies at Age 86
British actress Deborah Kerr, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died Tuesday in Suffolk, eastern England. She was 86.
10/17/2007 Belgian Researchers Devise Test to Rate Driving Ability in Parkinson's Patients
A short screening test, developed by a Belgian team, that measures four clinical variables can accurately predict the fitness of patients with Parkinson's disease to drive, according to findings published in the current issue of the journal Neurology.
10/16/2007 Ready to Go Steady
Whatever your age or athletic ability, you can benefit from maintaining proper balance, fitness experts say. It's key to staying fit and preventing falls. It becomes even more important if you have problems like joint pain and dizziness due to illness, or have Parkinson's disease or diabetes or have suffered a stroke. With balance training, you'll move more freely and confidently, especially if you've fallen.
10/11/2007 Parkinson's Researchers Focus on 'Designer' Cells
University of Florida regenerative medicine researchers including MJFF SAB member Dennis Steindler, PhD, have received a $1.6 million federal grant to study whether "designer" cells can be used to rescue the brain from Parkinson's and other neurological diseases.
10/09/2007 Family Dementia Risk Seen with Parkinson's Disease
Relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease appear to be at increased risk for impaired thinking and dementia, suggesting the presence of shared susceptibility factors, new research indicates.
10/04/2007 Exercise for Parkinson's Patients
Kelly Swoope of ABC 2 news in Baltimore reports on an MJFF-funded clinical trial of exercise for Parkinson's disease, led by Lisa Shulman, MD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
10/02/2007 Ceregene Appoints Joao Siffert, MD, to the Position of Chief Medical Officer
Ceregene, Inc., announced today that it has appointed Joao Siffert, MD, to the position of vice president and chief medical officer. Dr. Siffert will be responsible for Ceregene's clinical programs in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases and will report to Raymond T. Bartus, PhD, Ceregene's senior vice president of clinical and preclinical R&D and chief operating officer.
09/26/2007 New Nanoprobe Imaging Station Helps Study the Distribution of Elements in Cells
Scientists suspect that iron accumulation plays a role in neurodegenerative processes such as Parkinson's disease, but its distribution in neurons has never been observed because of the lack of techniques to do so -- until today.
09/26/2007 Rowe, Michael J. Fox Forge Own Ties
61-year-old investment fund manager (and MJFF Board member)Shad Rowe and Michael J. Fox are both battling Parkinson's disease. Every minute without a cure is a precious moment they can't afford to lose.
09/21/2007 How a Junkie's Brain Helps Parkinson's Patients
Wired News tells the story of Toby Govea, a drug dealer who developed Parkinson's-like symptoms after inadvertently injecting himself with the MPTP toxin by using a bad batch of homemade heroin in 1981. Govea eventually became a an early subject of deep brain stimulation, an intervention that has had a strong beneficial effects on his symptoms.
09/20/2007 A Different Kind of Walk for Parkinson’s Research
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center are seeking participants in a study to see if starting an exercising regimen will help people with Parkinson’s disease improve their walking and balance.
09/17/2007 Gene Mutation Linked to Parkinson's Disease
People who carry a certain gene mutation appear to have a greater risk for getting Parkinson's disease and for getting it at a relatively early age, new research suggests.
09/05/2007 Tiny RNA Snippet May Play a Role in Parkinson's
Genetic "dimmer switches could possibly become a new target in the fight against the neurodegenerative disorder.
09/05/2007 Britain Gives 'Human-Animal' Embryos Green Light
Regulators in Britain have agreed in principle to allow human-animal embryos to be created and used for research.
09/04/2007 My Experience in a Parkinson’s Clinical Trial
Jean Burns, diagnosed with PD in January 2003, writes about participating in her first clinical trial.
09/04/2007 Mom's Genes or Dad's? Map Can Tell.
Scientists have for the first time determined the order of virtually every letter of DNA code in an individual, offering an unprecedented readout of the separate genetic contributions made by that person's mother and father.
09/04/2007 In the Genome Race, the Sequel Is Personal
In a paper published today, biologist J. Craig Venter's research team is announcing that it has decoded a new version of the human genome that some experts believe may be better than that published by a government-financed consortium of academic centers in 2003.
08/30/2007 Ovary Removal before Menopause Linked to Memory and Movement Problems
Women who have their ovaries removed before menopause are at an increased risk of developing memory problems or dementia and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, according to two studies published August 29, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
08/30/2007 Rewiring the Brain
TIME magazine explores he growing therapeutic science of deep-brain stimulation (DBS).
08/29/2007 Parkinson's Disease Dementia Is Studied
U.S. scientists have discovered an intermediate stage in patients with Parkinson's disease that might be predictive of eventual dementia.
08/29/2007 Anti-depressants Don't Solve Depression in People with Parkinson's Disease
A study presented at the 11th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) in Brussels this week finds that many patients with Parkinson's disease continue to experience depressive symptoms despite taking anti-depressants.
08/27/2007 Do Parkinson's Drugs Create Obsessions?
While the evidence is not conclusive, a syndrome dubbed impulse control disorder may be associated with a class of drugs known as dopamine agonists used to treat the tremors, shuffling and other symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
08/25/2007 Fitness Training Helps Parkinson’s Patients
A class at The Heritage Institute, a south Fort Myers academy for massage therapists, personal trainers, estheticians and X-ray technicians, has begun working with people with Parkinson's disease.
08/20/2007 Trekking Poles Can Help People with Parkinson's
08/15/2007 Meth Exposure May Make Young Adults Vulnerable to Parkinson's-like Brain Degeneration Later in Life
A new study suggests methamphetamine puts young users at risk of developing deficits later in life that are symptomatic of Parkinson's disease in individuals with depletion of glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a protein that protects and repairs dopamine in areas of the brain related to movement control.
08/14/2007 Sniff Test May Signal Disorders’ Early Stages
The only test that measures patients’ ability to smell without requiring them to put the sensation into words shows promise in helping detect neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in their earliest stages.
08/14/2007 Loss of Two Types of Neurons Triggers Parkinson's Symptoms, Study Suggests
New evidence indicates that the loss of two types of brain cells — not just one as previously thought — may trigger the onset of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.
08/14/2007 Fingering the Neural Perp in Parkinson's
New study finds it's not just dopamine-producing cells, but likely ones that secrete norepinephrine, as well, that kick-start the movement disorder
08/13/2007 Unknown Desires, the Pallidum, and Parkinson's
On Scientific American's "Mind Matters" blog, University of Toronto medical student and Rhodes Scholar Navindra Persuad describes how a recent study refines our view of neural circuits of reward, motivation, and action that may be important in afflictions ranging from drug addiction to Parkinson's disease.
08/06/2007 Metal Ions Linked to Neurodegenerative Disease
Researchers have defined for the first time how metal ions bind to amyloid fibrils in the brain in a way that appears toxic to neurons.
07/19/2007 Researchers Find Specific Statin Significantly Reduces Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Risk
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that the statin simvastatin reduces the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease by almost 50 percent.
07/17/2007 Parkinson's, Factory Air Pollution Linked
A University of Toronto study has drawn a link between Parkinson's disease and the industry-generated pollutant manganese.
07/11/2007 Australian Study Considers Bore (Tank) Water, Parkinson's Relationship
An Australian study of 200 central west New South Wales residents has found that drinking bore or tank water is not a significant factor in the onset of Parkinson's disease.
07/11/2007 Lonnie Ali Discusses Challenges Facing Parkinson's Disease Caregivers
Lonnie Ali spoke to The Chicago Defender about being a caregiver to Muhammad Ali and about her new "Fight for MORE" campaign to provide PD patients and those that care for them the support, education and resources they need to battle the disease.
07/10/2007 Depression Often Underdiagnosed in Early, Untreated Parkinson's Disease
While depression appears to be common in early Parkinson's disease, it is often not treated or diagnosed, according to newly released research.
07/09/2007 People With Early Parkinson's Report Hallucinations, Sleepiness
People with early Parkinson's disease report a higher than anticipated development or worsening of hallucinations, sleepiness, and swelling. Researchers have identified factors that make people more likely to develop these problems.
07/09/2007 Scientists Identify Two Distinct Brain Networks Involved in Parkinson's Disease
According to new research published by MJFF SAB member David Eidelberg, MD, the disease that causes tremors, rigidity and slowed movements in a million Americans also targets another brain network that regulates cognitive thought and the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
07/09/2007 Smoking Associated with Lower Parkinson's Disease Risk
A pooled analysis of data from previous studies suggests that cigarette smoking appears to be associated with a reduced risk for developing Parkinson’s disease, with long-term and current smokers at the lowest risk, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology.
07/05/2007 Is Treating Parkinson's Possible with New Neurotrophic Factor CDNF?
A research group led by
Mart Saarma, director of the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki, has discovered a novel neurotrophic factor, CDNF (Conserved Dopamine Neurotrophic Factor). Dr. Saarma has also been funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for work on CDNF, which has been shown to protect and even rescue damaged dopamine neurons in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease.
07/05/2007 Tracing Lethal Mechanism of Parkinson's Disease
In the vast majority of Parkinson’s disease patients, the disorder arises not because of a genetic defect, but because some external insult triggers the death of dopamine-producing neurons. Now, researchers have reported progress in understanding the mechanism underlying that death, which they say suggests a new treatment pathway.
07/05/2007 Exercise May Help Delay Inflammation
Researchers said a new study could lead to a better understanding of the link between exercise and inflammation, a condition predictive of cardiovascular conditions or other diseases.
07/04/2007 Difficulty Identifying Odors May Predict Cognitive Decline
Older adults who have difficulty identifying common odors may have a greater risk of developing problems with thinking, learning and memory, according to a report in the July issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is funding work to investigate the use of olfactory dysfunction as a biomarker of Parkinson's disease.
06/27/2007 Combination of Environmental Toxins Accelerates Age-related Development of PD in Mice
Scientists report that combining two environmental toxic substances accelerated age-related degeneration in neurons associated with Parkinson's disease in mice. Additionally, the study showed that pre-treating the mice with an antioxidant weakened the impact of the environmental exposures, suggesting the substances damage the neurons via oxidative stress.
06/23/2007 Novel Parkinson's Disease Drug Target Identified
A paper to be published in the journal Science reports that, in cellular and animal models, blocking the action of an enzyme called SIRT2 can protect the neurons damaged in Parkinson's disease from the toxic effects of alpha-synuclein, a protein that accumulates in the brains of Parkinson's patients.
06/22/2007 NEWS IN CONTEXT: Phase 1 Safety Trial of Novel Gene Therapy for PD Reported Safe and Tolerable
The Michael J. Fox Foundation spoke to Thomas Wichmann, MD, associate professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, about how people with Parkinson’s should interpret the news of a promising Phase 1 trial for a novel gene therapy approach to PD.
06/21/2007 NEWS IN CONTEXT: Mayo Clinic Researchers Use 'Genomic Pathway' to Predict Parkinson’s
On June 15, PLoS Genetics reported that certain genetic changes in the brain had been linked to as much as a 90-fold increase in the risk of Parkinson’s disease for some people. To gain a clearer understanding of the new findings, the Foundation spoke with SAB members Mark Cookson, PhD, and Andy Singleton, PhD, both of the National Institute on Aging, and Brian Fiske, PhD, MJFF’s associate director of research programs.
06/21/2007 Genzyme Purchasing Rights In Ceregene Parkinson's Deal
Genzyme announced follow-on funding to further the development of CERE-120, Ceregene's novel gene therapy approach to treating PD, which MJFF has funded in Phases 1 and 2.
06/12/2007 Neural Stem Cells Reduce Parkinson's Symptoms in Primates
Primates with severe Parkinson’s disease were able to walk, move, and eat better, and had diminished tremors after being injected with human neural stem cells, a research team from Yale, Harvard, the University of Colorado, and the Burnham Institute report today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
06/08/2007 Researchers Report that Drug Widely Used to Treat Hypertension and Stroke Slows and May Halt Parkinson's Disease
Northwestern University researchers have discovered a drug that slows – and may even halt – the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The drug rejuvenates aging dopamine cells, whose death in the brain causes the symptoms of this devastating and widespread disease.
06/07/2007 House Passes Stem Cell Bill Despite Bush Veto Threat
The House gave final Congressional approval to legislation intended to ease restrictions on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, sending a bipartisan measure to the White House that President Bush has pledged to veto.
06/06/2007 Stem Cell Industry Set to Break Out
With California finally free to spend $3 billion on embryonic research, the stage could be set for a hot new biotech sector.
06/06/2007 Scientists: Finding Mimics Embryonic Stem Cells
Three teams of scientists say they have produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells, at least in mice, without taking the controversial step of destroying embryos.
05/30/2007 Parkinson's Linked to Pesticides, Head Trauma
Pesticides and head injury can both bump up risks for Parkinson's disease, European researchers report.
05/29/2007 Personality Changes May Help Detect Dementia with Lewy Bodies
A simple personality test could help doctors detect dementia with Lewy bodies, a form of dementia often confused with Alzheimer's disease, sooner, according to a study published in the May 29 issue of Neurology.
05/26/2007 First Blood Test for Parkinson's Disease Could Be on the Horizon
Researchers at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom have discovered that alpha-synuclein -- a protein that accumulates in parts of the brain affected by Parkinson's disease -- can also be detected in the blood. Furthermore, the levels of a particular form of this protein appear to be altered in blood samples from patients with the disease.
05/24/2007 Magnetic Field Found to Stimulate Brain Cells
A magnetic field can stimulate the brain and promote the growth of new nerve cells, scientists have found, raising the possibility of treating conditions linked to neuron death.
05/24/2007 New Patented Method for Transporting Medicine Across the Blood-Brain Barrier
Researchers at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute have patented a new way of safely transporting medicine across the blood-brain barrier.
05/22/2007 Parkinson’s Protein Protects Neurons From Stress-induced Cell Death
A collaboration between two research groups in Germany has revealed a novel function for the Parkin protein, as reported in the Journal of Neuroscience.
05/17/2007 Exercise May Lead to Improvement in Patients With Parkinson's
A new study shows that treadmill exercises may benefit patients with Parkinson's disease and those with similar movement disorders.
05/17/2007 News in Context: Co-Enzyme Q10 -- A Q&A with Brian Fiske, PhD
On May 15, 2007, news outlets reported results from a recent clinical trial on the effects of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in Parkinson's disease. As a service to its constituents seeking more information on these results, The Michael J. Fox Foundation offers thisQ&A with
Brian Fiske, PhD, associate director of research programs.
05/12/2007 Researchers Discover Link between Parkinson's and Narcolepsy
RxPG News
05/09/2007 FDA Approves Neupro Patch for Treatment of Early Parkinson's Disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the approval of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system), a skin patch designed to treat symptoms of early Parkinson's disease.
04/30/2007 Lonnie Ali Campaigns to Unite Carers
04/30/2007 Analysis: Brain Docs Study Sleep, Exercise
04/24/2007 On the Trail of Parkinson's, Through Yeast Cells
A conversation with Susan Lindquist of MIT, who last June published a paper reporting new clues about how Parkinson’s develops and how it might be treated.
04/23/2007 Studies Back Parkinson's and Pesticides Link
After a meeting of experts who have put together links in animals and people, evidence that pesticides can cause Parkinson’s disease is stronger than it has ever been.
04/17/2007 Ceregene Presents Long Term Follow-Up Data from Phase 1 Trial of CERE-120 Demonstrating Improved Motor Function in Parkinson's Patients
Ceregene, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, presented long-term follow-up data from an MJFF-supported Phase 1 clinical trial of CERE-120, a gene therapy product in development for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
04/09/2007 Search for the Brain's First Defense
The concept of combating degenerative disease and head trauma with neuroprotection is not new, yet it may now be making headway.
04/05/2007 New Studies Link the Environment to Parkinson's Disease
The Parkinson's Institute announced new findings concerning the role of environmental factors in the development of Parkinson's disease.
04/02/2007 New York State to Fund Stem Cell Research
New York State has entered the stem cell arena with the intention of becoming second only to California. The state will put $100 million into the research in fiscal year 2008, and stem cell supporters expect the number ultimately to reach $1 billion over a decade.
03/30/2007 News in Context: Irene Hegeman Richard, MD, Talks to MJFF about the FDA's Decision to Pull Pergolide from the Market
The Michael J. Fox Foundation spoke to Irene Hegeman Richard, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Rochester and a member of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, about the FDA's decision to pull pergolide from the market and the best course of action for those who have taken it as part of a PD treatment regimen.
03/29/2007 Parkinson's Drug Pulled From Market
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that pergolide, sold under the name Permax and also in generic versions, is being pulled from the market because of reports of heart valve damage.
03/28/2007 Type 2 Diabetes May Raise Parkinson's Risk: Study
Patients with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, although the reasons are unclear, Finnish researchers report.
03/22/2007 Supercomputer Simulations May Pinpoint Causes of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Diseases
Using the massive computer-simulation power of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego, researchers are zeroing in on the causes of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.
03/22/2007 Listen to Diane Rehm's Segment on Parkinson's Disease
Diane Rehm's March 22 program focused on living with Parkinson's disease, the latest research, and the scope of advocacy efforts across the country.
03/21/2007 FDA Limits Role of Advisers Tied to Industry
Expert advisers to the government who receive money from a drug or device maker would be barred for the first time from voting on whether to approve that company’s products under new rules for the F.D.A.’s powerful advisory committees.
03/21/2007 Location, Location, Location: Ceregene Bets on Better Delivery
Neuronal growth factors are back in the clinic with big bucks behind them. The key to the rebirth? A new approach that more closely mimics natural delivery of those factors.
03/07/2007 Genes Affecting Susceptibility to Parkinson's Following Exposure to Weed Killer Identified
Researchers at The University of Alabama are offering clues as to why some people appear to have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease following exposure to a widely used chemical weed killer.
03/04/2007 40 Years Later, Still No Cure
Unless something happens soon to speed up the search for new treatments -- more aggressive federal funding of stem-cell and other scientific research, for instance, and a more streamlined approval process for new drugs -- then the author's ultimate fate will be no different than it would have been in 1960.
02/14/2007 Parkin Find Yields Further Insight into Causes Of Parkinson's Disease
Using a new model of Parkinson's disease developed in the simple Drosophila (fruit fly), researchers have shown for the first time that a mutated form of the human parkin gene inserted into Drosophila specifically results in the death of dopaminergic cells.
02/14/2007 Study Probes Behaviors Linked to Parkinson's Treatment
Scientists are learning more about gambling and other compulsive behaviors that may sometimes be side effects of Parkinson's treatment.
02/13/2007 Foundation Mourns Loss of Cliff Shults, MD
Clifford W. Shults, MD, an original member of MJFF's Scientific Advisory Board, died of complications of cancer on February 7.
02/07/2007 Enhancing Activity of Marijuana-Like Chemicals in Brain Helps Treat Parkinson's Symptoms in Mice, Stanford Study Finds
Researchers report that endocannabinoids, naturally occurring chemicals found in the brain that are similar to the active compounds in marijuana, help trigger a dramatic improvement in mice with a condition similar to Parkinson's.
02/01/2007 Sentry Enzyme Blocks Two Paths to Parkinson's Disease
Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, have found an enzyme that stands at the crossroads of several pathways leading to the death of dopaminergic neurons, and prevents both cell degeneration and "cell suicide."
01/31/2007 F.D.A. Widens Safety Reviews on New Drugs
The Food and Drug Administration announced changes intended to ensure that marketed drugs are as safe as advertised, including the first effort to do a comprehensive assessment of the safety of drugs 18 months after introduction.
01/30/2007 The Importance of Knowing What the Doctor Is Talking About
National studies have found that “health literacy” is remarkably low, with more than 90 million Americans unable to adequately understand basic health information.
01/29/2007 Parkinson's Is on the Rise
In 25 years, the number of people with Parkinson's disease is predicted to climb to 8.7 million.
01/26/2007 Why Nonprofits Fund For-Profit Companies Doing Drug Research
Fed up with breakthroughs that fill journals rather than medicine chests, private foundations and charities that have traditionally funded academic scientists have started doing the once-unthinkable: writing checks for millions of dollars to for-profit companies.
01/23/2007 Recognizing a Sacred Bond Sometimes Obscured
The doctor-patient relationship is more than a commercial transaction between retailers and customers; it is a sacred bond in which both parties are interdependent.
01/23/2007 Acupuncture May Be Effective in Treating Parkinson's
South Korean researchers say that acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine technique of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body, may be effective in treating the type of brain inflammation suffered by patients with Parkinson's disease.
01/22/2007 Parkinson's Link to Statins Eyed
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine are organizing a major study to find out if taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins increases the risk of Parkinson's disease for some patients.
01/17/2007 Researchers Find a Common Genetic Risk Factor for Parkinson's Disease in Asians
Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, have discovered what to date appears to be the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease worldwide.
01/12/2007 Gene Test Might Spot Risk of Parkinson's Disease in Patients
In work
funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, scientists have identified a pattern of abnormal functioning in 22 genes that might someday be used in a test to spot people most at risk for Parkinson’s disease.
01/11/2007 Michael J. Fox Urges Members of Congress to Vote Yes on Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
Michael J. Fox wrote to members of Congress this week, urging them to vote yes on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act vetoed last summer by President Bush.
01/11/2007 Michael J. Fox Foundation Statement in Response to Passage of H.R. 3 (The Stem Cell Enhancement Act)
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research issued a statement in response to the House of Representatives' passage of H.R. 3, the Stem Cell Enhancement Act.
01/10/2007 Moving Ahead on Stem Cells
The Democrats’ proposal to loosen President Bush’s restrictions on federal support of embryonic stem cell research is extremely modest — about the least that could be done to accelerate progress in this promising field. It deserves support from veto-proof majorities in both houses.
01/08/2007 Human Stem Cells Found in Amniotic Fluid
Stem cells nearly as powerful as embryonic stem cells can be found in the amniotic fluid that protects babies in the womb, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday.
01/08/2007 Parkinson's Drugs Linked to Heart Valve Trouble
Two "dopamine agonist" drugs commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease -- pergolide (Permax; Eli Lily) and cabergoline (Dostinex; Pfizer) -- may raise the risk of heart valve regurgitation.
01/04/2007 Study: Skin Patch Eases Parkinson's Symptoms
A study published in the January issue of Neurology found that a skin patch relieved symptoms of people with early stage Parkinson's disease.
01/02/2007 Epilepsy Drug May Help Parkinson's Patients
The epilepsy drug zonisamide may ease Parkinson's disease symptoms when other drugs fail, according to a study out of Japan.
