Word: parkinsons
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...hunt for a Parkinson’s cure got a boost in 1997, when researchers discovered a tiny population of patients who have a mutant gene that codes for alpha-synuclein. This might seem like open-and-shut evidence that the cause of the illness had been found, except that the vast majority of Parkinson’s patients, whose brains also grow gummed up, do not carry the mutation. Still, scientists are convinced that the bad gene is a powerful clue. "There appear to be more clumps in the brains of people with the mutant gene," says Zigmond. "Learning...
Another gene, newly dubbed the parkin gene, has also been getting a lot of attention. In 1998, Japanese researchers were studying a young patient with early-onset Parkinson’s and found a recessive gene that appeared to be associated with the disease. Though relatively rare, the parkin gene is much more common than the defective alpha-synuclein gene, and in places like China, with high rates of early-onset Parkinson’s, it may play a role in up to 20% of cases. Just last October, researchers at Duke University went a step further, discovering a previously unseen mutation...
Just as important as protecting healthy neurons is repairing or replacing nerve cells that have already been damaged. The body produces a whole bath of trophic-or growth-factors, that help neurons and other cells develop. If the brains of Parkinson’s patients could be fortified with additional trophic doses, many scientists believe, damaged neurons might be reawakened or repaired. While there is some thought in the medical community about engineering genes to churn out the substances, the pharmaceutical industry is taking a more direct approach...
Whether such an anti-Parkinson’s potion is really so close at hand is unclear, but scientists are not waiting to find out. Other possible treatments now under study include boosting anti-oxidants, which would protect brain cells from free radicals, highly reactive molecules that are byproducts of oxidation; and blocking the body’s production of compounds called excitatory amino acids, which can sometimes cause neuron damage. It’s hard to say which, if any, of these treatments will likely succeed, but with science closing in from so many directions, it’s possible that Parkinson...
...GREEN CANCER SPECIAL (MTV). In the Year of Celeb Health--Dave's heart, Michael's Parkinson's--Green's testicular cancer was the most creatively rewarding affliction. Green took his gross-out comedy to a new level on an unflinching show that took quite a pair to make...