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New findings bring hope for possible Parkinson's disease cure

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.

November 3, 2009 http://www.physorg.com/news176464812.html

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.

Anumantha Kanthasamy, a distinguished professor of biomedical sciences and W. Eugene and Linda R. Lloyd Endowed Chair in Neurotoxicology at the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, has been working to understand the complex mechanisms of the disease for more than a decade and thinks he has found hope for the cure.

Parkinson's disease sufferers lack a sufficient amount of a brain chemical called dopamine.

Kanthasamy's research shows that there is specific protein that is naturally present in human brains that -- for no known reason -- kills the brain cells that make dopamine.

The cells that are being killed are the ones that produce the needed dopamine.

"We have millions of cells in our brains," said Kanthasamy, "In Parkinson's, about 10,000 of these brain cells die; no one knows why."

Kanthasamy discovered that a novel protein -- known as protein kinase-C (specifically PKCδ) - is killing the dopamine-producing cells.

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You're alive. Do something. The directive in life, the moral imperative was so uncomplicated. It could be expressed in single words, not complete sentences. It sounded like this: Look. Listen. Choose. Act. ~~Barbara Hall

I long to accomplish a great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker. ~~Helen Keller

pegleg

Would you read that byline again?
New findings bring hope for possible Parkinson's disease cure

Nobody wants to commit any more. Several years ago I and several others in this forum were listening to Michael J. Fox testify before the US Senate for more research funding. Many of us heard him say "A cure can be found for Parkinson's with proper funding in five more years." At least 3 "five more years" have passed.

Five years - we heard great researchers say it, too. We saw the timeline. Yet, here we are - getting closer, but nobody is saying when it will happen.

I'm thankful for promising findings like this, but don't want researchers to start their news releases with such ambiguity! "Hope" - "possible cure." I want the conviction and intensity we had back then.

Anybody with me?

Peg

paula_w

yea because i know how you have been feeling and i want you back in the game.

paula

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paula
"I've never had advanced PD before."
"Time is not neutral for those who have pd and for those who will get it."

indigogo

Peg - they are just being truthful. We energized more funding for research, and the research discovered more complications.

I'm not about to commit to more research funding advocacy without a commitment from others to help those who have PD now lead a better quality of life.

Only chasing the cure is no way to live well; we need balance.

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Carey

“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world’s estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.” — Susan B. Anthony

Sasha

This is telling to me:

"Once we find the compound, we need to make sure it's safe. If everything goes well, it could take about 10 years, and then we might be able to see something that will truly make a difference in the lives of people with this disorder," said Kanthasamy."


"once we find...if everything goes well....could take about 10 years....then we might..make a diference"

http://www.physorg.com/news176464812.html

I'm not holding my breath. The exercise bike on that page (ad) holds out more hope and relevance to me. Not that I'm not glad that there are researchers willing to commit 10+++ years of their careers to this cause...I just don't have the time to wait!

bluedahlia

For me, this equates to 10++++ years, as a means of someone(s) securing and receiving a steady salary. Yeah....colour me cynical, but I sometimes wonder why they make these releases sound so promising until one actually dissects them.