Has the Missing Link to Dopamine Cell Death in Parkinson's Been Found?

Parkinson's disease results from the as-yet unexplained death of dopamine-producing neurons whose cell bodies live in the upper brainstem region called the substantia nigra. To date there are many factors implicated at initiating this process ranging from genetic aberrations and environmental toxins to stress and even minor head trauma. Somehow these factors lead to the abnormal accumulation of the evil protein, alpha-synuclein thought to disrupt cell function to the point of cell death.

Investigators may have discovered that missing link between exposure and lethal protein accumulation. Scientists at St. Louis University have identified a natural toxic substance produced in the brain called "dopal" that may be the missing link or at least part of the as yet undiscovered process that occurs between exposure to known initiating factors like pesticides, herbicides, manganese and the lethal accumulation of monkey-wrench protein, alpha-synuclein.

According to lead scientist W. Michael Panneton, Ph.D., professor of pharmacological and physiological science at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, "In Parkinson disease, we knew that the death of dopamine cells is responsible for patients' symptoms. But no one knew why the cells are dying."

Dopal, the newly discovered toxic substance seems to cause clumping of alpha-synuclein protein. At the very least, knowing this fact opens up a new window for treatments to prevent disease progression. By the time the classic movement symptoms develop in Parkinson's disease (tremor, rigidity and slowness) as many as 80 percent of dopamine neurons from the tiny brain region from where they originate (substantia nigra) have already died. Any treatment geared towards prevention of further death of that small remaining reserve of dopamine-producing cells would be a boon to the treatment of the disease which now mainly consists of using drugs that either mimic the deficient dopamine, or increase its presence in the brain by various mechanisms.

Dopal is the natural by-product of dopamine breakdown, particularly when acted on by the enzyme class called the monoamine oxidases. The anti-Parkinson's drug rasagiline blocks this breakdown (called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor or MAOI), to increase the amount of brain dopamine. At least a few studies have suggested it as being effective at slowing the disease progression. If you block these monoamine oxidase enzymes in the brain you may be lowering the amount of dopal being produced so this may be the mechanism for how rasagiline slows Parkinson's disease progression, i.e., by leaving less dopal around, and thus resulting in less lethal clumping of alpha-synuclein protein.

It has also been suggested by other researchers that somehow, the classic environmental toxins thought to induce Parkinson's like pesticides may somehow stimulate the metabolism of dopamine to dopal.

Obviously more research is needed but this does solve at least one important piece in the puzzle as to why dopamine-cells die in Parkinson's disease.

Marshall Davidson, M.D.,aka. "Dopadoc," a physician who battles early-onset (age 44, 2005) Parkinson's disease. He maintains the website "Dopadoc's Parkinson's Journal" at http://www.dopadoc.com/

To quote, "I am a doctor with Parkinson's Disease. I firmly believe that the better a basic knowledge you have of your disease, the more you'll be able to make competent care decisions for yourself and weed out bad doctors and outright quacks. My website aims to provide the lay person with essential information crucial to taking charge of your care. Take a look for yourself and raise your medical IQ. We even have a basic Parkinson's curriculum you can enroll in for free."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marshall_Davidson

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Can Stem Cell Therapy Bring Improvements for Parkinson's?

The human race has been facing many fatal diseases since the existence of life. With the passage of time, people got cures for the disease as well. Even in today's world there are diseases which are considered incurable. Scientists are working day and night in order to get treatment for the incurable diseases. Parkinson's disease are among those diseases which were considered incurable in the past due to which people had to suffer a lot. But with the introduction stem cell therapy, this disease is also considered to be curable. Stem cell therapy for Parkinson does ensure successful Parkinson's treatment.

Parkinson is a neurological disorder. It has symptoms like lack of motor coordination, shaking stiff muscles, insomnia, confusion, decreased dexterity, tremors and memory loss etc. As it is a chronic disease, it has been creating severe problems for the people all around the world. Now with the help of stem cell therapy for Parkinson's, people can eliminate this disease in a safe and easy way.

In this procedure stem cells are injected in a body to ensure healing of the damaged cells with the help of production of new cells. Stem cells are those cells which are immature and have the ability to adapt to their surroundings and then develop into other types of the cells. These cells come from a woman's placenta right after she has given birth. When these cells are injected in the body, they get dispersed and start working and multiplying. These cells get facilitation from the blood and start producing new cells. These new cells replace the damaged or ill cells and ultimately, heal the body from disease. In this way stem cell therapy for Parkinson helps the person in getting cure form this chronic disease.

This concept was encouraged when it was proved that brain cells have the ability to regenerate. By following this concept, the medical scientists tried to apply stem cell therapy for Parkinson's. Luckily they were successful and now this technique is considered to be one of the best ways of curing this disease. One thing which people may face will be that this treatment is not readily available around the world. For this purpose one will have to travel to other countries. Many of the families may not be financially strong enough to arrange a medical tour for them. Because of this, many good and caring people on the web have come to rescue and helped to raise funds.It is a treatment in which a person gets rid of the disease without any kind of surgery or operation and their success rates are higher plus there are no side effects or risk.

There is no doubt that this concept for the treatment of many diseases has faced many controversies but still physicians are using this method for the treatment of different chronic diseases. If people only keep in mind that this technique helps in saving lives of people then they would forget all the controversies. In life there will always be controversy; especially when something new is introduced. Stem cell therapy for Parkinson is now a trust worthy and successful way of getting rid of this disease. More and more people will be benefiting from this technique.

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