Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Parkinson's Disease News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/parkinsons_disease/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115756.php What does the genetics of blood cells have to do with brain cells related to Parkinson's disease? From an unusual collaboration of neurologists and a pharmacologist comes the surprising answer: Genetic mechanisms at play in blood cells also control a gene and protein that cause Parkinson's disease. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115383.php The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has announced approximately $2.4 million in total funding to nine research teams under its Target Validation initiative. This annual MJFF program provides intellectual and financial resources to help push potential PD drug targets forward toward clinical trials and ultimately the nearly five million Parkinson's patients worldwide. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114840.php A typical symptom of Parkinson's disease is tremor in patients. A group of scientists, including Professor Peter Tass from Forschungszentrum Julich have succeeded in demonstrating the mechanisms which cause the so-called tremor: neuron clusters in the depths of the brain drive the tremor. This discovery supports Tass' research activities aiming at developing a therapy for Parkinson's disease. A new deep brain pacemaker is to bring cells out of the diseased mode for good. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113908.php Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:TTP) announced initial analyses show that Spheramine® did not meet the Phase IIb clinical study's primary or key secondary endpoints, with no significant differences detected between the Spheramine and sham surgery arms of the study after 12 months of follow-up. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113758.php Dr. Douglas Anderson was among the earliest neurosurgeons in the nation to treat Parkinson's disease with a treatment called deep brain stimulation. Dr. Anderson has treated approximately 50 Parkinson's patients with the therapy, known as DBS. His first patient was a middle-aged woman who used a wheelchair due to her Parkinson's. Dr. Anderson implanted an electrode that delivered mild electrical signals deep in her brain. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113684.php The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is pleased to announce awards of $950,000 toward its 2008-2009 International Research Grants and Fellowship Program (IRGFP). The funding will support the research of 19 Parkinson's scientists, chosen on April 11 from a group of almost 100 candidates by a scientific review committee led by Stanley Fahn, M.D., PDF's Scientific Director. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112432.php New data presented at the 12th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders prove that ropinirole is a highly effective molecule in managing Parkinson's disease (PD). Results from the PREPARED study confirm that Requip-Modutab* (ropinirole prolonged release tablets) offers a highly effective and more simplified treatment regimen compared to ropinirole 3x daily, by providing continuous delivery of ropinirole day and night from a single daily dose1. Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112293.php Leading neurologists and other clinicians from Rush University Medical Center are presenting new basic and clinical research findings at the Movement Disorder Society's 12th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders meeting in Chicago, June 22-26. Highlights from the sessions led by experts from the Movement Disorders Center at Rush as well as guided poster tours and poster presentations to be made by physicians from Rush include: Dr. Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111329.php GlaxoSmithKline announced the approval of Requip® XL™(ropinirole extended-release tablets) in the U.S. for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Itis the first and only oral once-daily non-ergot dopamine agonist indicated for Parkinson's disease. The product should be available in U.S. pharmacies in mid-July 2008. Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/110254.php Research released today provides evidence that a cure for Parkinson's disease could lie just inside the nose of patients themselves. The Griffith University study published in the journal Stem Cells found that adult stem cells harvested from the noses of Parkinson's patients gave rise to dopamine-producing brain cells when transplanted into the brain of a rat. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/110025.php The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended the immediate implementation of changes to the product information for Neupro (rotigotine), from Schwarz Pharma Ltd, stating that it must be stored in a refrigerator (at a temperature of between 2ºC and 8ºC). The new storage conditions are intended to reduce the possible occurrence of crystallisation of the active substance which has been reported in patches of Neupro. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/110022.php Axxonis Pharma AG announces the submission of a marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for Nenad(R) (lisuride transdermal patch as add-on therapy for Parkinson's Disease and for Restless Legs Syndrome, and subcutaneous (sc) lisuride infusion fo Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109828.php A toad sits at a pond's edge eyeing a cricket on a blade of grass. In the blink of an eye, the toad snares the insect with its tongue. This deceptively simple, remarkably fast feeding action offers a new look at how muscles work. This fresh perspective could lead to designing more efficient electric motors, better prostheses and new medical treatments for neuromuscular diseases like Parkinson's. Science has long held that muscles behave largely like motors. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109739.php Big Bucks for Bad Bugs A team of Burnham investigators has been awarded a $4 million grant from the NIH to generate chemical inhibitors of human proteins that are hijacked by bacteria and viruses during infection. These protein inhibitors may provide a new strategy for treating infectious diseases. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109649.php The use of electrical impulses to stimulate weak or paralyzed muscles, called Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), is often used to help stroke or multiple sclerosis patients to walk. In a pilot study published in Neuromodulation, Geraldine E. Mann of Salisbury Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in England presents evidence that FES may also provide major benefits to people with Parkinson's disease. Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109226.php A Binghamton University researcher will receive $1.33 million from the National Institutes of Health to support Parkinson's research that will focus not only on the treatment of the disease but also on the side effects of treatment. "Parkinson's disease patients have trouble with movement," said Christopher Bishop, assistant professor of psychology. "They move more slowly. They have rigidity in their limbs. They have balance problems and tremors. Fri, 30 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109189.php BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced that in a pre-clinical study that was conducted with Tel Aviv University between February and May 2008, signs of impaired motor behavior in a rat model of Parkinson's improved following transplantation of BrainStorm's unique Neurotrophic Factor Cells (NTF). Wed, 28 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/108925.php BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced that Dr. Tue, 20 May 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/108140.php The current issue of Cell Transplantation (Vol. 17:4) features a number of publications by researchers seeking new ways to treat Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurological disease characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor and slowed physical movements related to insufficient levels of dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia of the brain, by using primate models to examine the potential therapy role of transplanted cells. Mon, 19 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107722.php GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced the launch of a new treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) in the UK. ReQuip XL® (ropinirole prolonged-release tablets) is the UK's first and only once-daily non-ergot oral dopamine agonist available for the treatment of PD1, providing continuous delivery of ropinirole from a single daily dose2. Fri, 16 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107583.php 23andMe, a privately-held personal genetics company, and The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center ("Parkinson's Institute") announced a research initiative under which Parkinson's Institute patients, with financial support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, will enroll in the 23andMe Personal Genome Service™ to support the development of advanced methods for clinical and epidemiologic research for Parkinson's disease. Fri, 16 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107584.php Unlike most scientific and technological advances, which tend to take their place silently in society, biotechnology often finds itself the center of public debate and regulatory attention, due partly to the moral issues posed by many of its applications. Mon, 12 May 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107082.php A study of seven patients with Parkinson's disease suggests that those who have poor results following implantation of electrodes to stimulate the brain may benefit from additional surgery to correct the electrode placement, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Fri, 09 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106884.php The American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR) has awarded The 2008 Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair to neuroscientist Paul M. Carvey, PhD, dean of the Graduate College at Rush University, Chicago, Ill. The award, made at ASNTR's 15th Annual Meeting 2008 in Clearwater, Fla., recognizes outstanding research contributions in the field of neural therapy and repair. Fri, 02 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106090.php A ground-breaking guide aimed at promoting the benefits of specialist nurses in the care of people with long term neurological conditions is launched today. The important document results from a unique partnership between three of the UK's leading charities for neurological conditions, the MS Society, Epilepsy Action and the Parkinson's Disease Society, with the Department of Health, Royal College of Nursing and NHS National Workforce Projects.