Natural Anti-Oxidant Provides Clues for Parkinson’s Treatment

A naturally occurring anti-oxidant in humans has lead researchers to believe there is a link between serum urate levels and the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Urate, once believed to be a useless a by-product of metabolism, is now thought to play “an important role in keeping us healthy,” according to Alberto Ascherio, MD, of the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. The study is published in the April 14 Online First issue of the Archives of Neurology. Read more

Urate Level Key to Parkinson’s Progression

A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have discovered that the rate at which Parkinson’s disease progresses is a reflection of the level of urate in the bloodstream.  It seems the higher the level of urate, a naturally occurring antioxidant, the slower the progression of the disease. Read more

Transplanted Cells No Cure Yet for Parkinson’s Disease

Nature Medicine has just published the groundbreaking results of a study involving the use of dopamine cell transplants into the brain of a Parkinson’s disease patient. The findings of the study indicate Parkinson’s is caused by a cluster of factors instead of just one, as had been previously speculated. Read more

Low LDL Cholesterol May Signal Risk of Parkinson’s Disease

It’s become pretty common knowledge that the lower one’s level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the better for the heart. A recent study has confirmed, however, the possibility that a low LDL count may signal a greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Read more

Therapeutic Cloning for Parkinson’s Works in Lab Mice

Researchers at Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) have announced a very promising development in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. They’ve used a process called somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in laboratory mice, which led to neurological improvement deemed successful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The research team expressed hope for further studies that might lead to similar cures in humans and in other diseases that affect other organ systems. Read more

Test and Preventative Management for Parkinson’s Disease

Information from a new study raises the possibility that people could be tested to see if they are at risk for Parkinson’s disease and then undergo preventative treatment. The study done by scientists at Buck Institute for Age Research showed that high levels of MAO-B, an enzyme that regulates nerve activity in the brain, causes Parkinson’s type symptoms in mice genetically engineered to over express the protein. Read more

A new potential risk factor Discovered for Parkinson’s Disease

A new Buck Institute study led by Julie Anderson PhD has just published findings in the online Journal PLoS One demonstrating that high levels of MAO-B can cause Parkinson’s like symptoms in the brain. MAO-B’s are enzymes that regulate nerve activity in the brain and have been associated with neurodegeneration when they are increased in the brain. Read more