Word: parkinsonism
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...borrow some of the same techniques. Supporters of "therapeutic cloning," in which embryos are cloned to harvest their stem cells but never grown into a baby, argue that these primitive cells, which can turn into any kind of cell in the body, may hold the secret to cures for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other diseases. "Of course, all society--from scientists to politicians--is against human reproductive cloning," asserts Dr. Robert Lanza, medical director of Advanced Cell Technology, a biotech firm in Worcester, Mass., that has led the way in cloning human embryos for stem-cell research...
USEFUL AT LAST? It has been touted before--prematurely--as a treatment for cancer, heart disease, even AIDS. But the dietary supplement coenzyme Q-10 may have finally hit pay dirt with Parkinson's disease. In a 16-month study of 80 patients, high doses of Q-10 four times daily significantly delayed the progression of the disease. Researchers declared the results "tremendously encouraging" but were quick to warn that the study was too small to be definitive...
...there is one food I would recommend that my patients eat every day, it is blueberries. Not only do blueberries taste great, but they have well-documented antioxidant powers, which is probably why they seem to help ward off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. I also encourage people to eat vine-ripened tomatoes and citrus fruits, because they have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancers of the prostate and colon...
ECSTASY SHAKES Experimenting with ecstasy may not be as risk-free as some users believe. A new study says popping two or three pills in one night can cause enough damage to dopamine neurons in the brain to lead to parkinsonism--a condition similar to Parkinson's disease that is characterized by tremors, sluggishness and balance problems. Scientists at Johns Hopkins arrived at this conclusion by studying the effects of high doses of ecstasy on squirrel monkeys and baboons, but believe the results may apply to humans as well. --BY SORA SONG...
...clinical trials using stem cells. Last week ReNeuron, a Surrey-based biopharmaceutical company, announced that it had licensed a gene that would allow it to successfully stabilize human brain cells derived from fetuses and to proceed with treatments for different brain diseases. Eventually these could be used to combat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, diabetes, chronic heart and kidney disease, liver failure, cancer and spinal-cord injury. Though stem cells can be obtained from adult tissue, scientists say they must also experiment with cells from fetuses and embryos if stem-cell research is to be translated into such specific therapies...