Identification of new genes shows a complex path to cell death

UMass Medical School investigators define multi-step pathway that allows for cell survival and death

Can a tiny winged insects salivary glands really tell us about processes relevant to human disease” Yes, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), who gained new insights into autophagya cellular degradation process associated with a form of programmed cell deathby studying the salivary gland cells of the fruit fly.

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Green tea may protect brain cells against Parkinson’s disease

Does the consumption of green tea, widely touted to have beneficial effects on health, also protect brain cells” Authors of a new study being published in the December 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry share new data that indicates this may be the case. The authors investigated the effects of green tea polyphenols, a group of naturally occurring chemical substances found in plants that have antioxidant properties, in an animal model of Parkinsons disease.

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New Way to Replace Parkinson’s Disease Cells?

Parkinsons disease (PD) patients may have a new treatment on the way.

The disease is caused by the progressive degeneration of dopamine (DA) cells in the brain. Replacing these cells is considered a promising therapy transplanting human fetal mesencephalic tissue has shown good results in trials but with a limited availability of the tissue, there needs to be other ways to get the cells.

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Omega-3 fatty acids protect against Parkinson’s, study says

Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against Parkinsons disease, according to a study by Universit Laval researchers published in the online edition of the FASEB Journal, the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. This study, supervised by Frederic Calon and Francesca Cicchetti, is the first to demonstrate the protective effect of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids against Parkinsons.

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Cough medicine fights dyskinesias in Parkinson’s

OHSU study also shows drug tested for schizophrenia reduces levodopa side effect
PORTLAND, Ore. - A cough suppressant and a drug tested as a schizophrenia therapy curb the involuntary movements that are disabling side effects of taking the Parkinson’s disease medication levodopa, Portland scientists have found.

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Blocking formation of toxic plaques implicated in type 2 diabetes

Journal of the American Chemical Society

Amid growing evidence that the same abnormal clumping of proteins in Alzheimers disease also contributes to type-2 diabetes, scientists in New York are reporting discovery of a potent new compound that reduces formation of those so-called amyloid plaques. Their study is scheduled for the Sept. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.

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Turning off “Bad” Gene in ALS

There is a new approach to treating ALS, and it may be the first significantly effective therapy for this neurodegenerative disease.

Each year nearly 10,000 people in the United States are told they have ALS, a fatal disease made famous by the late baseball player Lou Gehrig. ALS attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually preventing a person from moving, speaking and breathing, which ultimately leads to death several years after diagnosis.

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Loss Of Two Types Of Neurons Triggers Parkinson’s Symptoms, Study Suggests

New evidence indicates that the loss of two types of brain cells–not just one as previously thought–may trigger the onset of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.

The evidence, based on mouse models, shows a link between the loss of both norepinephrine and dopamine neurons and the delayed onset of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. It was originally thought that the loss of only dopamine neurons triggered symptoms. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter critical for coordinating movement.

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Zocor vs. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

July 18, 2007 — Zocor — but not sister cholesterol-lowering drugs Lipitor or Mevacor — may cut the risk of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests.

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