New hope against Parkinson's disease

Shaking hands, hunched position, loss of smell, small handwriting, lameness, numbness, tingling, pain or discomfort in the neck or extremities are some of the typical symptoms of Parkinson's disease. neurological and disability in the world in the elderly.

More than 200 years after the publication of an essay on the paralysis of agitation, medical science has failed to develop a cure for this disease. This situation could change over the next few years, as a group of experts has developed a drug in the experimental phase that could slow the progression of Parkinson's disease and its symptoms.

People with this disease have a deficiency of dopamine, a brain chemical, in a specific region of the brain called a black substance. Neurons use the chemical to help control muscle movement. When the disease occurs, the neurons that produce dopamine die slowly.

"The drug protects in a truly incredible way the target cells of the nervous system"

– Ted Dawson

director of the Cellular Engineering Institute and professor of neurology at the School of Medicine of the Johns Hopkins University.

The main risk factor for developing the disease is the presence of hereditary family history, and it has been considered a disease that occurs more frequently in the elderly.

In Mexico, 80 to 85 years of age A hundred cases occur between 55 and 60 years of age, being more common in men, three to two women. When the patient begins with tremor in any part of the body, the disease is already advanced; it is estimated that when the first symptom occurs, the patient has lost 80% of the neurons that produce dopamine, which controls movement and therefore this disease occurs.

Investigative physicians have experimented with mice and cell cultures of the human brain to be able to verify that the drug, known as NLY01, is capable of stopping neuronal degeneration, a characteristic manifestation of this trouble. The results of the study were published in the digital scientific journal, Nature Medicine.

People with this disease have a dopamine deficiency in the brain

Thanks to the results obtained during the first stage, specialists expect "The NLY01 would be one of the first pharmacological treatments whose action would not only aim to improve muscle rigidity, tremors, dementia, among other symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but specifically to slow the progression of the disease, "says Dawson

& amp; Experimentation

The team of experts tested the drug NLY01 using three types of brain cells of great relevance: astrocytes, microglia and neurons. Through this study, researchers discovered that microglia, a type of cell that sends signals across the central nervous system in response to an infection or injury, had the highest number of adhesion points for NLY01. ; twice as much as other types of cells and 10 times more in people with Parkinson's disease than in those who do not.

"Activated astrocytes studied rebel against the brain and this counterproductive behavior contributes to the death of brain tissue that manifests itself in patients with Parkinson's disease." it was possible to control astrocytic behavior, it might be possible to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease "

– Ted Dawson

Physician

In vitro, the team administered NLY01 to human microglia and discovered that the signal of activation did not occur.When healthy astrocytes joined the treated microglia, they did not become destructive cells and were able to retain their neuroprotective function.This led the researchers to think that the mechanism of protection of circulating neurons in the body was the same.

With this hypothesis, they decided to test the effectiveness of the medi In a first experiment, the alpha-synuclein protein, the folding of which is considered to be the main cause of Parkinson's disease, was injected into the mouse, which by genetic modification carried a rodent version of

. mice, who then received NLY01. Similarly, the researchers injected alpha-synuclein into another group of similar mice, to whom the drug was not administered. This second group of mice showed significant deterioration of the engine. While mice treated with NLY01 retained both their normal physical functions and dopaminergic neurons, a clear indication of the protective effect of the drug against the development of Parkinson's disease.

In a second experiment, a group of mice that, by genetic modification, naturally produced an alpha-synuclein protein more analogous to humans; an animal model that is commonly used to reproduce the disease with hereditary character.

Under normal conditions, the transgenic mice had to die in 387 days; however, treatment with NLY01 prolonged the survival of the 20 mice treated with the drug, adding more than 120 days of life.

With his research, Dawson and his team claim to have compelling reasons to believe that, in short With time, the drug NLY01 could have a positive effect on the lives of patients, which would be a great success in the world of Medicine.

His Story

J ames Parkinson, Medical Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Great Britain, published in 1817. An essay on restless paralysis. In this book, he describes a chronic disease that progresses slowly and is characterized by tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movements, postural instability, walking disruption and a propensity to bend the trunk forward. 19659025]. , anxiety, memory disorders, sleep disturbances and decreased sense of smell, among others.

Parkinson's Disease

This disease is one of the most common in the elderly, presenting itself in most cases. case, after 50 years

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

Slow flashing

Low voice, monotonous tone

Problems of posture and balance

Dystonia

Rigidity and postural instability

Constipation

Difficulty performing fine tasks

Loss of facial expression

Loss of smell

Inability to swallow

Tremor with a frequency of three to six cycles / sec

Bradykinesia (slow motion)

Feeling that you can not take your feet off the ground

Non-Motor Symptoms

> Neuropsychiatric Disorders

> Sleep Disorders

> Gastrointestinal Problems

> Weight Loss

> Behavioral Dysfunction

> Depression

Cognitive Impairment

Decreased Ability to Perform Various Tasks and / or focus, also a possible reduction of intellectual functioning

Causes

Doctors do not know exactly what causes the disease. It can be a hereditary problem, a genetic mutation or environmental factors such as long-term exposure to toxins, such as pesticides