The capital | Study how to eliminate the toxic effects of the pharmacokinetics of Parkinson's disease

Mexico .- In the search for alternatives that improve the quality of life of parkinsonian patients, scientists from the Autonomous University of Benemérita de Puebla (BUAP) carry out studies on a toxin to counteract the side effects of psoriasis. a drug commonly administered to people with this disease. 19659006] In the medical field, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, known as L-DOPA, improves the symptoms of this neurodegenerative disease, but after five to seven years of constant administration causes involuntary movements of torso and upper limbs. lower, which becomes more disabling than the disease itself.

In a statement, the BUAP announces this research which coordinates the specialist of the Laboratory of Neuropharmacology of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (FCQ) of the institution, Daniel Limón Pérez de León

Scientists explained that 39 they use a tetanus toxin chain (Hc-TeTx) to counteract the side effects of L-DOPA, so that they seek to mitigate cell death.

The molecule of tetanus toxin, through two subunits, is responsible for the toxic effects and symptoms of tetanus, while the other subunit is harmless and has the property to penetrate and to Act in the central nervous system.

In animal models, the specialists reported that they managed to stop the Hc-TeTx neuronal damage caused by Parkinson's disease, which is manifested when there is a loss of 80 to 90% of the neurons dopaminergic. "By administering this substance, they observed a decrease in neuronal death of about 50%," the statement said.

José Aguilera, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and collaborator of this BUAP laboratory, showed that Hc-TeTx has a protective effect, because it reverses the damage of dopaminergic neurons.

"The scientific contribution we discovered using the tetanus toxin heavy chain was to verify its neuroprotective effects in experimental models, such as neuronal survival and motor enhancement, mainly in fine and thick movements. ", said Limón Pérez de León, who added that this discovery fights or delays the effects of L-DOPA.

In the next 50 years or so, the researcher said. No one will withdraw L-DOPA from the market for the Parkinson's patient, despite the fact that it induces involuntary movements. Therefore, "the relevance of understanding the mechanisms that develop dyskinesias, because ultimately we can not suppress L-DOPA, but we must try to avoid or delay the negative effects of this drug."

In this sense, they are studying the molecular and cellular bases that cause dyskinesias derived from treatment with L-DOPA, in order to have defined therapeutic targets and to counteract them with a drug or therapy.

"We are helping to make this fraction of tetanus toxin useful, and the next step will be to transmit this data to the clinical part with a well-defined protocol, which will be studied by of other scientists, "said the academic of the FCQ

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