Brain Disease: What We are Learning About Parkinson's

 Parkinson's Disease  

The cause of Parkinson's disease remains unknown, but researchers are developing several treatment options available including surgery and medication that is making life easier for patients.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive debilitating disease of the brain that causes neuron death primarily in a specific area. The neurons in the substantia nigra create dopamine which is responsible for regulating coordination and movement in the body. As the disease progresses and dopamine is less available, willful movement becomes more difficult for the affected individual. The cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown, but there are several treatment options available including surgery and medications.

New research developments aim at finding a cure for the disease, and making life easier for patients everywhere.

Drugs to help stimulate neuron growth

Medications that are administered to patients with Parkinson's disease work only to control symptoms. Researchers with USC online master’s degrees in gerontology are working on developing growth factors that are delivered via miniscule capsules that can be embedded directly into the brain during craniotomy. The growth factors are designed to slow-release the medication over a time period between two months and one year. They specifically target the area where neuron death occurs.

Drug for Gaucher disease slows Parkinson's

Researchers at UCLA found that AT2101, a medication used in treating Gaucher disease may slow the progression of Parkinson's. A study conducted on mice found that the drug reduced cerebral inflammation, improved motor function and decreased amounts of the protein alpha-synuclein. Alpha-synuclein is thought to be a major factor in the destruction of neurons in Parkinson's.

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Research links origin of Parkinson's in intestines

Studies at Sweden's Lund University have been working to prove German neuropathologist Heiko Braak's theory that the toxic protein alpha-synuclein originates in the intestines. The protein is thought to invade surrounding tissues and travel from the peripheral nervous system to the brain. Researchers hope to develop treatments that treat the precursor of the disease in the intestines before it has a chance to take root in the nervous system.

Anti-aging cream found to slow progression of Parkinson's

Kinetin, an active ingredient in many over-the-counter wrinkle creams has been found to heighten the activity of a protein directly related to mitochondrial stimulation in neurons. A researcher at the University of California in San Francisco has been conducting the study on an Italian family that lacks adequate levels of the protein to prevent neuron death.

Exciting research continues to unfold great possibilities in treating and curing Parkinson's disease. New programs are being developed for caring individuals who can help improve the quality of the lives of the elderly, especially those suffering from Parkinson's. Hopefully with time we will be able to find the key to stopping the disease.

By Brooke Chaplan

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Author Bio - Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and recent graduate of New Mexico University where she studied journalism. She loves to hike, bike, run and explore around her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She also enjoys blogging about health, fitness, fashion and many other topics.