Parkinson's Disease - Biotech, Pharma and Life Science Channel
Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition, affecting one person in every 500, 95% of which are over 40. It is caused by degeneration of more than 70% of the substantia nigra, which depletes the dopamine (the neurotransmitter involved in processing movement) levels in the brain. The characteristic symptoms are a tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.
There are a number of different forms of parkinsonism; idiopathic Parkinson's diseas (the most common), vascular parkinsonism,drug-induced parkinsonism, dementia with Lewy bodies, inherited Parkinson's and juvenile Parkinson's.
Medications for Parkinsons try to restore the levels of dompamine by inhibiting its degradation or increasing its synthesis; Levodopa, Dopamine agonists, Apomorphine, Glutamate antagonist, Anticholinergics, COMT inhibitors and MAO-B inhibitors. Non-pharmaceutical options include occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietary advice and physiotherapy. Surgery is an option in severe cases, and involves deep brain stimulation and lesioning techniques.
Gene therapy could be used to prevent the death of nerve cells and also to promote the regeneration of cells. Stem cells could ultimately restore the supply of dopamine, but it will be at least 5 to 10 years before clinical trials using stem cell therapy will be considered.
Source; Adapted from Parkinson's UK
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PubMed Articles
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National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI)
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Videos
Understanding Parkinson's Disease | Dr. Melita Petrossian - UCLA Health
UCLA Health - Health Lectures http://uclahealth.org/calendar.
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Casuistry
A method of ETHICAL ANALYSIS that emphasizes practical problem solving through examining individual cases that are considered to be representative; sometimes used to denote specious argument or rationalization. Differentiate from casuistics, which is the recording and study of cases and disease.
Incidental Findings
Unanticipated information discovered in the course of testing or medical care. Used in discussions of information that may have social or psychological consequences, such as when it is learned that a child's biological father is someone other than the putative father, or that a person tested for one disease or disorder has, or is at risk for, something else.
Wasting Disease, Chronic
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A plant genus of the family ULMACEAE that is susceptible to Dutch elm disease which is caused by the ASCOMYCOTA fungus, Ophiostoma.
Virulence Factors
Those components of an organism that determine its capacity to cause disease but are not required for its viability per se. Two classes have been characterized: TOXINS, BIOLOGICAL and surface adhesion molecules that effect the ability of the microorganism to invade and colonize a host. (From Davis et al., Microbiology, 4th ed. p486)
