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Post by the Scribe on Sept 17, 2018 8:38:01 GMT -5
statins.news/Risk of Parkinson’s disease increases with statin drug useTuesday, August 21, 2018 by: RJ Jhonson
What if the drug meant to treat you actually gave you a different, just-as-bad disease? A report published in the medical journal Movement Disorders says this could be the case with statins, linking the use of the drugs to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Statins are a class of drugs prescribed to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The drug works by blocking the liver enzyme responsible for the production of cholesterol. By doing this, the drug lowers your body’s cholesterol levels and decreases your risk for cardiovascular conditions.
Some medical professionals have come to attribute statins with neuroprotective effects, but the authors of the study say the evidence for this is inconclusive at best.
Dr. Xuemei Huang, a professor of neurology at Penn State College of Medicine and one of the authors of the study, implies this could be a misunderstanding. Past research suggests that higher cholesterol levels could reduce the risk for Parkinson’s. Incidentally, statins are prescribed to people who need to lower their cholesterol levels.
She adds that the research on the neuroprotective properties of statins has so far involved just cell cultures and animal models.
For their research, Huang and her colleagues looked at medical insurance claim data from 50 million people. They identified how long it took before the first symptoms of Parkinson’s appeared since the patients began taking statins. They found that there was indeed a correlation between the use of statins and a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s.
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Furthermore, they saw that most patients manifested symptoms within 2.5 years of treatment with statins. Most of these cases involved the use of lipophilic or fat-soluble statins, one of the two versions of the drug available in the market today.
As its name suggests, lipophilic statins diffuse in fat or lipids, unlike their hydrophilic counterparts that diffuse in water. The former is noted for its ability to distribute across a wider range of tissues. It can even reach the brain while the latter cannot. This has made lipophilic statins more popular, as evidenced by the greater number of names they are marketed as, such as atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, cerivastatin, pitavastatin, and simvastatin.
Huang explained that contrary to prior belief that halting statins causes the development of Parkinson’s disease, it is the drugs themselves that cause the symptoms to manifest in the first place. She admits that further research is needed to fully understand the results of their research, but that their findings prove that patients need to be careful before taking statins.
“Statin use was associated with higher, not lower, Parkinson’s disease risk, and the association was more noticeable for lipophilic statins, an observation inconsistent with the current hypothesis that these statins protect nerve cells,” she says.
The side effects of statins As is the case with many chemical medications, statins cause more than just one adverse effect. It is actually known for quite a few, and some of them can be severe.
As mentioned previously, lipophilic statins make it to the brain. When they do, they cross the blood-brain barrier, the mechanism that filters the substances that enter the brain and give patients insomnia. Other patients have complained of memory loss and confusion. The effects are more pronounced among patients with dementia.
Statins have also been linked to muscle pain and damage, leading patients to feel sore, tired, or weak in the affected areas. This particular side effect is actually one of the major reasons many patients opt out of statins.
Those who take the drug are also prone to liver damage and may develop Type 2 diabetes later on.
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Post by the Scribe on Sept 22, 2018 14:29:08 GMT -5
Statins Confirmed to Cause Parkinson’s - Implications for Additional Adverse EffectsJustin Smith October 27, 2016 A new large study presented at the American Neurological Association Annual Meeting has found a strong connection between cholesterol-lowering medications and Parkinson’s disease. Contradicting previous claims that statins are protective against PD. In recent years there has been a considerable effort to try to find new applications for statins. Reports have tried to link statins with positive results on a wide range of conditions, such as: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Depression. These claims have been somewhat surprising considering that the brain and nervous system have the highest requirements for cholesterol and low cholesterol levels are associated with cognition problems, increased suicide, and an increased risk for some types of cancer. Many people have suspected that the data is being carefully cherry picked in an attempt to show a false benefit and expand the use of statins into other areas. In the new study, researchers analysed data from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database - including information on 30,343,035 persons aged 40 to 65 years. The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of Parkinson's disease. This is not the first time that we have seen an absence of the predicted benefits of statins in real life data. For example, a large study in 2011 collected data from 289 of 290 municipalities in Sweden and found that the predicted benefits of statins had not materialised, despite a dramatic increase in statin use. An important finding of this new study is that all of the cholesterol lowering drugs included were associated with an increased risk of PD. Suggesting that the harms of the drugs could be directly related to the cholesterol-lowering effect. This adds to the mountain of data that now exists to show that having a low level of cholesterol is worse than having a high level. Sources: Melville, NA. Statin Use Linked to Increased Parkinson's Risk. Medscape October 26, 2016 Nilsson, S et al. No connection between the level of exposition to statins in the population and the incidence/ mortality of acute myocardial infarction: An ecological study based on Sweden’s municipalities. Journal of Negative Results in BioMedicine 2011, 10:6 www.statinnation.net/blog/2016/10/27/statins-confirmed-to-cause-parkinsons-implications-for-additional-adverse-effects
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Post by musedeva on Sept 22, 2018 15:32:19 GMT -5
that ABOVE is absolutely FASCINATING!!!
what a great caring person you are for repeatedly posting all this INFO!!
thank you
I am going to look into that lions mane mushroom!!! sounds awesome
i have a family friend that has epilepsy i wonder if it helps with those seizures...he hates taking pharma pills and mainly controls it with edibles I think
THANK YOU
and I hope Linda gets on here and sees all that
I always wondered if coke overuse screwed up the nervous system
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2018 14:52:58 GMT -5
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Post by fabtastique on Oct 31, 2018 15:26:53 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2018 17:59:57 GMT -5
Those two articles pretty much summarize the same study, I think.
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 1, 2018 1:10:40 GMT -5
Brain implants used to treat Parkinson's can be hacked, experts warnswww.telegraph.co.uk
Hackers could overload or stop brain implants remotely, scientists have claimed Credit: Naeblys Vulnerabilities in brain implants used to treat Parkinson's disease could be hacked by cyber attackers and used to control people, scientists have claimed.
A report by the Oxford Functional Neurosurgery Group and cyber security company Kaspersky claims that people's memories could be exploited by hackers and has called on cyber security companies, manufacturers and healthcare companies to develop new technology to stop them.
Academics have previously warned that brain implants could prevent patients from "speaking or moving, cause irreversible damage to their brain, or even worse, be life-threatening". They claimed that hackers could overload or disable the system, and could damage people's brains.
Implantable pulse generators are used to treat patients with conditions such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor or major depression and have Bluetooth-enabled software for clinicians and patients to monitor through a smartphone or tablet.
This new report claims that hackers could use the wireless communication to intercept data transmitted, including patients' personal details and could take over the device itself.
"Manipulation could result in changed settings causing pain, paralysis or the theft of private and confidential personal data," scientists said.
The report has claimed that hackers could manipulate people through implanted or erased memories in the coming decades, or hold their memories to ransom. Although there have been no examples of cyber criminals hacking these devices, technological advances in the coming years would mean they are not hard to exploit, researchers said.
Laurie Pycroft, doctoral researcher in the University of Oxford Functional Neurosurgery Group, said: "The prospect of being able to alter and enhance our memories with electrodes may sound like fiction, but it is based on solid science the foundations of which already exist today.
"Memory prostheses are only a question of time. Collaborating to understand and address emerging risks and vulnerabilities, and doing so while this technology is still relatively new, will pay off in the future."
drudgenow.com/article/?n=0&s=2&c=1&pn=Anonymous&u=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/10/31/brain-implants-used-treat-parkinsons-can-hacked-experts-warns/
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Post by germancanadian on Nov 6, 2018 14:41:12 GMT -5
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 28, 2018 4:24:08 GMT -5
Tara on TMA: Alanna Nash's Linda Ronstadt InterviewTed Tatman Published on Sep 1, 2013 August 29, 2013: WTMA, Charleston morning radio host Tara Servatius talks to noted author Alanna Nash about Nash's recent AARP.org Q&A feature with singer Linda Ronstadt. (Nash's interview with Ronstadt was largely responsible for the world finding out about Ronstadt's Parkinson's disease diagnosis.)AbledConditions-Parkinsons-Disease-Linda-Ronstadt POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH - POSTED IN AbledConditions
Singer reveals a years-long battle with tick disease and Parkinson’s Disease
UPDATE: September 13: Linda Ronstadt – ABC World News Tonight Person of the Week
In an exclusive interview with ABC World News Tonight anchor Diane Sawyer, Linda Ronstadt reveals that she suspected she might have Parkinson’s Disease for the last 12 years.
In her interview with AARP, Ronstadt said she had suffered from Lyme Disease after she was bitten by a tick that she got from one of her cows. Other persons with Parkinson’s, such as Michael J. Fox, have also reported suffering from Lyme Disease after a tick bite and going on to develop Parkinson’s Disease.
Ronstadt explains the effects Parkinson’s has had on her singing voice and why it’s now left her unable to sing in public. She displays her characteristic humor and a courage few people knew she possessed. Breaking News | Celebrity News | More ABC News Videos
Linda Ronstadt has been one of the most distinctive voices in popular music, from her time fronting the Stone Ponys in the Sixties, through her solo successes in the following decades, including the phenomenal Trio albums with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.
But now that voice has been silenced, at least when it comes to singing, because she has now revealed to the world that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Photo of the cover of Linda Ronstadt's new autobiography 'Simple Dreams' published by Simon and Schuster and Free Press. Click here to buy the book at Amazon.com.The revelation isn’t contained in Ronstadt’s new autobiography Simple Dreams , (published by SImon and Schuster and Free Press), because the official diagnosis wasn’t confirmed until months after the final submissions for the book. You can click on the book’s cover photo to purchase it at Amazon.com.
From Wikipedia: ‘Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain; the cause of this cell death is unknown. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related; these include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Later, thinking and behavioral problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease, whereas depression is the most common psychiatric symptom. Other symptoms include sensory, sleep and emotional problems. Parkinson’s disease is more common in older people, with most cases occurring after age 50. A montage of photos from Google Search shows the covers of some of Linda Ronstadt's albums.
A montage of some of Linda Ronstadt’s album covers from Google Search.
The AARP Interview with Linda Ronstadt
In a wide-ranging interview with AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) in advance of the coming release of her autobiography Simple Dreams, the notoriously private Ronstadt lifts the veil on her growing health challenges. And, despite the heartbreaking end to her singing career, she manages to face it with her characteristic sense of humor:
‘Though her book mentions that her voice began to change at age 50, Ronstadt, now 67, had never offered a solid explanation for her 2009 retirement (the book does cryptically mention a time when she had a “still-healthy voice”).
Ronstadt opens up about the life-altering news she did not put in her new book — she has Parkinson’s disease — and its tragic side effect: “I can’t sing a note.” The winner of 11 Grammys during a 40-year career that produced more than 30 albums, Ronstadt recorded her final CD (Adieu, False Heart, with Cajun musician Ann Savoy) in 2006. Three years later — on Nov. 7, 2009 — she gave what she calls her last concert at the Brady Memorial Auditorium in San Antonio.
After that, Ronstadt simply declined all invitations to do more.
In late 2012, when a friend asked her to sing on a tribute album to Jackson Browne, a close friend from her L.A. days, she wrote in an email: “I have a serious case of being 66 years old and am completely retired from singing. Of course, one is always pleased to be asked, so tell them I said thank you.”
What old friends and fans did not know is that for the past seven or eight years, Ronstadt had suffered from symptoms that suggested Parkinson’s disease. Eight months ago, a medical diagnosis confirmed it. Never one to shy from a challenge, Ronstadt faces her disease with the determination to push for more and better treatments, both for herself and for other Parkinson’s patients. (For more about Parkinson’s disease, see the box on page 4.)
In the exchange that follows, Ronstadt assesses her career and explains how her Parkinson’s was detected.
Q: You wrote your “musical memoir,” Simple Dreams, entirely yourself. Was that difficult for you?
A: Well, I’d never written anything longer than a thank-you note before. I never kept a diary or a journal. But I’m a reader, and I can put a coherent sentence together, so I thought I could make it honest and clear.
Q: You talk in the book about your love for animals and your pet, Luna the cow.
A: Oh, Luna! Yeah, I loved her — she was such a nice old girl — but I got a tick from her, and that’s probably why I’m sick.
Q: You mean you have a tick disease now?
A: Well, I had two very bad tick bites in the ’80s, and my health has never recovered since then.
Q: Is that why we don’t see so much of you?
A: I can’t sing. I have Parkinson’s disease, which may be a result of that tick bite. They’re saying now they think there’s a relationship between tick bites and Parkinson’s disease — that a virus can switch on a gene, or cause neurodegeneration. So I can’t sing at all.
In fact I couldn’t sing for the last five or six years I appeared on stage, but I kept trying. I kept thinking, “What if I tried singing upside down? Or standing on my head? Or while juggling? [Laughs] Maybe I’d be able to sing better then.”
So I didn’t know why I couldn’t sing — all I knew was that it was muscular, or mechanical. Then, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I was finally given the reason. I now understand that no one can sing with Parkinson’s disease. No matter how hard you try. And in my case, I can’t sing a note.
Q: When were you diagnosed with Parkinson’s?
A: About eight months ago — just when I was writing the acknowledgments for the book, actually. I got the initial diagnosis, but they didn’t confirm it until six months later. I didn’t want to write about it in the book, because I wasn’t sure.
Q: You noticed the symptoms in your voice before anything else?
A: Yes, but it didn’t occur to me to go to a neurologist. I think I’ve had it for seven or eight years already, because I’ve had the symptoms that long. Then I had a shoulder operation, so I thought that must be why my hands were shaking. Parkinson’s is very hard to diagnose. So when I finally went to a neurologist and he said, “Oh, you have Parkinson’s disease,” I was completely shocked. I was totally surprised. I wouldn’t have suspected that in a million, billion years.’
Read the rest of the AARP interview with Linda Ronstadt
A photo shows Linda Ronstadt sitting on a bench in a changing room chatting with Linda McCartney while Paul McCartney plays a guitar riff for Peter Asher, Ronstadt's producer and former member of the 60's singing duo Peter and Gordon during the 1976 Wings Over America Tour.
Linda Ronstadt chats with Linda McCartney while Paul McCartney plays a guitar riff for Ronstadt’s producer Peter Asher in the backstage changing room during the 1976 Wings Over America tour. Asher was formerly one-half of the 60’s singing duo Peter and Gordon for whom McCartney wrote the song ‘World Without Love’.
In addition to her interview with Diane Sawyer, Linda also sat down with Robin Roberts on ABC’s Good Morning America to talk about her memoir Simple Dreams and her diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease: Breaking News
Could voice therapy help Linda Ronstadt to sing again?
The Internet has been all abuzz about Ronstadt’s interview and many people in the field of Parkinson’s treatment and therapy have expressed sadness at her declaration that she can’t sing anymore. Many have wondered if she has tried vocal or singing therapy.
Linda Ronstadt only hints at problems with the ‘mechanics’ and the muscles involved with singing, and for someone who has been blessed with one of the most naturally beautiful voices in contemporary music, it’s got to be incredibly frustrating for her. Not to mention her demands on pitch, tone, vibrato and other technical elements of singing would be incredibly high, given her professional pedigree. So her assertion that she can no longer ‘sing a note’ may well be true.
Marsha Kogut, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech pathologist at New York Institute of Technology’s Adele Smithers Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center says most individuals with Parkinson’s disease exhibit symptoms of soft volume, hoarse and breathy vocal quality, monotone, imprecise articulation (perceived as mumbling) and other problems modifying their speech rates.
She says says individuals with Parkinson’s disease often find relief and success with certain intensive voice therapies.
Although Kogut is not familiar with the specifics of Ronstadt’s case and cannot speak directly on Ronstadt’s condition, she regularly treats individuals with Parkinson’s disease and has had favorable results, particularly with the use of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment program, an exercise-based behavioral program with a focus on the speech motor system. Kogut and her colleagues work with patients at the center, part of NYIT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. The center’s guiding concept is to provide comprehensive care to help people improve and maintain quality of life while living with Parkinson’s disease.
LSVT trains individuals to target loudness as a way to trigger improvement of all systems and generalize them to daily communication.”
As part of the therapy process, Kogut often uses singing exercises to enhance the vocal and respiratory mechanisms. She says these exercises can be therapeutic and are a fun way to enhance a tedious therapy session.
Ronstadt says she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight months ago but began to show symptoms eight years ago.
“The most important thing is to consult with a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders who will tailor the appropriate medications and strongly encourage the initiation of the rehabilitation process,” says Kogut. “Almost anyone can benefit from this program. Although there are some prognostic variables that may indicate that certain individuals may have better outcomes, speech therapy is an essential part of improving the communication process for Parkinson’s patients.”
Adds Kogut: “Individuals with impaired cognitive abilities can benefit from this program, which encourages patients to talk loudly. As a result of reduced amounts of the neuro transmitter dopamine in the brain, Parkinson’s patients have reduced movements in all parts of their body.
LSVT trains the individual’s brain to use the command “talk loud” and the vocal system will respond. Individuals with PD lose the automatic ability to talk loud – they have to command their body to do that. The individual learns to implement the talk loud command, use increased conscious effort, and take deep breaths, which results in family and friends being able to understand them once again.”
Kogut is a practising speech language pathologist since 1975, with expertise in working with the adult neurologically impaired population.
Source: NYIT Newsroom
Even the AARP’s Blog contains opinions from others on whether voice and singing therapy might benefit Linda Ronstadt:
An excerpt from the AARP blog discusses whether new Parkinson's therapies could help Linda Ronstadt to sing again and includes a photo of the members of the Parkinson Voice Project in Dallas in performace while the accompanying text reads, “No one can sing with Parkinson’s disease. No matter how hard you try,” lamented legendary singer Linda Ronstadt, who was recently diagnosed with the condition. That may be true for Ronstadt, but speech pathologists and other Parkinson’s experts say there is enormous hope for most people. “It made me very sad to hear her say that,” says Samantha Elandary, founder and CEO of the nonprofit therapy group Parkinson Voice Project in Dallas, which has helped patients to sing. “Twenty years ago, speech therapy didn’t work for Parkinson’s patients. But now we know that voice treatment does work, but it has to be a specific kind.” Whether it could help someone of Ronstadt’s stature regain her full singing range is unclear, but vocal therapy “is very effective,” says neurologist Zoltan Mari, M.D., interim director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins University medical school in Baltimore.
Read the rest of the article at the AARP’s Blog: blog.aarp.org/2013/08/27/linda-ronstadt-new-parkinsons-therapies-may-help-you-to-sing/
On NBC’s ‘The Today Show’, NBC News Chief Medical Editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, provided additional insight into Linda Ronstadt’s proclamation that she can no longer ‘sing a note’: “People forget that vocal chords are muscles, so if Parkinson’s causes stiffness and slowing down of the muscles, there is no reason to think your voice wouldn’t be affected too. “If you have to rely on the fine muscle quivering of a vocal chord, that means that a singer can’t do what he or she wants to do.”
Linda Ronstadt joins Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox, among celebrities also battling Parkinson’s.
Fox turned out to be 1 of 4 cast members of a Canadian sitcom diagnosed with Parkinson’s under the age of 40, prompting investigations into the cause of the cluster. More recently, the bio of the sitcom’s Director, Don Williams, claims, ‘Current evidence suggests that as many as eight crew and cast members on the project have developed Parkinson’s symptoms’, leading many to speculate about an environmental trigger such as pesticides or previous toxic landfill material possibly being in the ground beneath the studios.
Also, in a previous appearance on David Letterman’s talk show in 1997, Fox claimed he previously had Lyme DIsease from a tick bite, saying, ‘I got a dose of the Lyme. You feel like crap. l got bit by a tick,’ he confessed. ‘They’re really tiny. Then what happens is you get this little red mark. You think it’s a rash or you think it’s some bad thing, but it’s a tick bite. Then you are doomed because it’s already too late.’
Keep in mind, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 and didn’t disclose it to the public until 1999. If the tick bite and Lyme Disease part of the story is true, then Linda Ronstadt would be the second celebrity to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease following a bout with Lyme Disease, strengthening the theories about a correlation between the two conditions.
Banner for the new Michael J. Fox show 2 hour Season Premier, Thursday September 26, shows Michael in a suit and tie being kissed on the cheek by his co-star with other cast members dancing about in the background. Click here to visit the show's website at NBC.
For many years it was also thought that actress Katharine Hepburn had Parkinson’s because of the tremor in her voice and body movements. She set the record straight in the 1993 TV documentary Katharine Hepburn: All About Me (1993) (TV), which she narrated herself, ‘Now to squash a rumor. No, I don’t have Parkinson’s. I inherited my shaking head from my grandfather Hepburn. I discovered that whiskey helps stop the shaking. Problem is, if you’re not careful, it stops the rest of you too. My head just shakes, but I promise you, it ain’t gonna fall off!’.
In 2003, her niece Katharine Houghton, confirmed in a television interview that it was not Parkinson’s disease, but a progressive ,albeit treatable, neurological disorder called essential tremor, that used to be called palsy. Her aunt’s form of it was called a familial tremor, which is inherited. Children of a parent with the disease have a 50 percent chance of inheriting a gene that causes it.
Linda Ronstadt’s memoir, “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir” is slated for release on September 17, 2013. In the book, she does not discuss her diagnosis of Parkinson’s or her battle with the disease.
abled.com/tag/lyme-disease-parkinsons-disease-connection/
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 5, 2018 1:16:51 GMT -5
I keep bringing this up but study after study is linking neurological problems like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc. to gut health. HOW to get the proper gut health for each particular person is the question as everyone is different. Find a good clinical gastro doctor well versed in integrative and alternative therapies. I would also be doing acupuncture weekly by those who practice triple pulse and know their Chinese herbs. I would also be taking a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement like Youngevity (do your research). AND I would definitely be eating slightly cooked eggs (with runny yoke but slightly cooked whites like sunny side up). Cholesterol feeds the brain. Don't eat GMO foods. Go ORGANIC. That would go for Parkinson's and any auto immune disease. Stay away from statins. And keep active physically and mentally (jigsaw puzzles, read, move the limbs, etc.) This is just basic stuff that anyone can and should do along with finding a good pro and pre biotic. Fermented foods like sour kraut and kombucha are supposed to be good gut food as well. Avoid gluten if you can. That is the hardest thing to do. The Appendix May Be Linked to Parkinson's Disease. But Don't Run Out and Have Surgery.By Yasemin Saplakoglu, Staff Writer | November 1, 2018 12:40pm ET
Clumps of alpha-synuclein protein (in red) were found in healthy appendixes. Those same clumps, when found in the brain, are telltale signs of Parkinson's disease. Credit: Courtesy of Viviane Labrie | Van Andel Research Institute
Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological disorder that impairs brain cells and causes movement problems, could have its origins in the appendix, a new study suggests. The vestigial organ, the researchers say, could be the source of proteins that can find their way to the brain and once there, extend a deadly grip on nerve cells.
According to the study, published yesterday (Oct. 31) in the journal Science Translational Medicine, people who had their appendix removed when they were young were 19 to 25 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's later in life.
The new study — though not the first to suggest that Parkinson's can start in the gut, or even in the appendix — was one of the largest ones done to date. The research "further supports the notion that [Parkinson's] starts in the gut," Dr. Ted Dawson, a professor of neurodegenerative diseases at Johns Hopkins University who was not part of the study, told Live Science.
In the first part of the study, the researchers sifted through two large databases — one that contained information on more than 1.6 million people in Sweden, and the other with data on 849 international patients who had Parkinson's disease. Both databases indicated which people had had their appendixes removed. [10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp]
They found that people who had their appendixes removed were 19 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's later in life, but only if they had the procedure done early — decades before the typical onset of the disorder. What's more, people in the study who did end up developing Parkinson's did so, on average, 3.6 years later if they had their appendixes removed than people who still had their appendices.
The findings suggest that the appendix "might be important in the early events or possibly in the initiation of this disease," said senior author Viviane Labrie, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan.
Labrie and her team also found that people who had undergone an appendectomy (surgery to remove the appendix) and lived in rural areas were 25 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's than those who had the surgery and lived in urban areas. Parkinson's is often more common in rural areas, which may be due to exposure to pesticides that are thought to be linked to the disease, Labrie said. This association wasn't present in those who were genetically predisposed to Parkinson's, the researchers noted. (Only about 10 percent of people with Parkinson's are genetically predisposed.)
What's going on down there? A telltale sign of Parkinson's in the brain are "Lewy bodies" — large deposits of proteins that form around neurons and hinder their release of chemicals or neurotransmitters that instruct our movement and thoughts. These Lewy bodies are mostly made up of abnormally shaped or "clumped" proteins called alpha-synucleins.
In the second part of the study, Labrie and her team set out to look for these clumps of proteins in the appendix. They imaged 48 appendixes taken from people without Parkinson's. The appendixes had been taken from both young and old patients. Some were inflamed and some were not (gut inflammation is considered a potential risk factor for Parkinson's).
They found that all the appendixes had contained the protein clumps. In other words, the same proteins that wreak havoc in the brain seem to be normal in the appendix. This suggests that "what's present in the appendix" could actually be a "seed" that could travel from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain and cause Parkinson's, Labrie told Live Science. (However, the study couldn't ultimately prove that this is the cause of the disease.)
It's unclear why the appendix has these clumps in the first place, however. The appendix, though largely — and erroneously — thought to be useless in the body, contains a number of immune cells and helps to identify and monitor pathogens and raise red flags (immune responses) when it finds them, Labrie said.
So perhaps these clumps "might also be involved in immune function," Labrie said.
Preventative appendectomies? No Still, the findings don't mean people should run out and schedule appendectomies. Parkinson's itself is a relatively rare disease that affects less than 1 percent of the population.
"One of the things that we don't want to get across to people is that [they] should be having preventative appendectomies or that just because you have an appendix, you're going to get Parkinson's disease," Labrie said. Rather, possible future preventative treatments could aim to target levels of the clumped proteins in the gut, or to somehow prevent their escape to the brain.
In addition, the researchers only looked at the appendix in this study, but there could be other places in the GI tract that also have these clumps "that we just haven't looked at yet," Labrie said.
Now, Labrie hopes to understand the molecular basis of what's going on: If these clumps of proteins can't distinguish a healthy appendix from one that may seed Parkinson's, are there other biological markers that can?
It's clear that the gut whispers to the brain, the brain whispers to the gut and together they turn the cranks and wheels of our bodies — a conversation that continues to remain largely mysterious to us.
Originally published on Live Science.
www.livescience.com/63989-appendix-protein-clumps-parkinsons.html
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 5, 2018 6:57:40 GMT -5
Essentially, the microbiome (gut bacteria) affects the neurotransmitters. And there is a strong connection between glyphosate (roundup) and the killing of gut bacteria. GMO (roundup ready) genetically modified foods have the same bad effect on the gut. That is why I say if you have something like Parkinson's or an autoimmune disease you are most likely very sensitive to these poisons. YOU MUST go ORGANIC in everything you can. Organic means a product will NOT have been grown and sprayed with pesticides like roundup AND it means they are not genetically modified (meaning roundup-glyphosate altered). Costco, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are 3 big grocery chains that sell a lot of organic or GMO free food products. I am convinced that roundup is responsible for the rise in autism, add and adhd maladies as well. By roundup I mean GMO's and glyphosate/roundup pesticides. Countries that don't use these products have significantly fewer of these problems. Kill the gut bacteria you will have brain problems. Cut your intake of cholesterol with statins you starve your brain. This is all so obvious to me but it will take a lifestyle change to cleanse yourself plus you need to do things to build your microbiome back up to good health.
nongmoshoppingguide.com/Neurotransmitter modulation by the gut microbiotaAuthor links open overlay panelPhilipStrandwitz Show more doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.015Get rights and content Highlights • The human microbiota has been linked to numerous components of health and disease.
• Gut bacteria can influence diseases of the enteric and central nervous systems.
• Bacteria have the capability to produce or consume neurotransmitters.
• Neurotransmitter modulation is a likely communication route along the gut-brain-axis.
Abstract The gut microbiota – the trillions of bacteria that reside within the gastrointestinal tract – has been found to not only be an essential component immune and metabolic health, but also seems to influence development and diseases of the enteric and central nervous system, including motility disorders, behavioral disorders, neurodegenerative disease, cerebrovascular accidents, and neuroimmune-mediated disorders. By leveraging animal models, several different pathways of communication have been identified along the “gut-brain-axis” including those driven by the immune system, the vagus nerve, or by modulation of neuroactive compounds by the microbiota. Of the latter, bacteria have been shown to produce and/or consume a wide range of mammalian neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, or gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Accumulating evidence in animals suggests that manipulation of these neurotransmitters by bacteria may have an impact in host physiology, and preliminary human studies are showing that microbiota-based interventions can also alter neurotransmitter levels. Nonetheless, substantially more work is required to determine whether microbiota-mediated manipulation of human neurotransmission has any physiological implications, and if so, how it may be leveraged therapeutically. In this review this exciting route of communication along the gut-brain-axis, and accompanying data, are discussed.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899318301501
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 12, 2018 2:52:19 GMT -5
Linda RonstadtPOSTED ON AUGUST 29, 2013 BY MARILYN OKONOW
Posted by Marilyn Okonow
I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I was too busy singing all the Linda Ronstadt songs in my head that I used to perform. My sleeplessness was triggered by the news that one of my biggest idols and singers, Linda Ronstadt, age 67, has Parkinson’s disease and has tragically lost her voice. I knew every lyric, chord, inflection, and guitar solo of all of her biggest hits. The melodies of the songs she sang were simple and accessible, and the purity and strength of her voice were beyond compare. She was simply a petite dynamo.
I can understand how devastated she must be that she can no longer sing. I am currently the musical director of a choral group at Jewish Family & Children’s Service called the Tremble Clefs. This chorus is comprised of Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. Each week as we sing, we concentrate on things like breath control, diction, phrasing, and dynamics. Our warm-ups are designed to address the difficulties that many Parkinson’s patients have in using their voices. In the words of Dan, a Tremble Clefs member, “Singing is possible with therapy and groups like Tremble Clefs – we’re living proof!”
I would bet that in the course of her career, Ms. Ronstadt worked with vocal coaches to maintain the health of her vocal chords, and now, even with all her experience and training, this awful disease has taken that away from her. The one thing I have learned about Parkinson’s is that it manifests itself differently in different people. So lest people get the wrong impression, not everyone loses the ability to sing or speak when they have Parkinson’s. And while as of yet there is limited data, in our chorus we have found that singing every week does help people increase the strength of their voice.
Now that the news is out about Ms. Ronstadt, we will be working on a medley of her greatest hits. We will make a video that we can send to her that will hopefully inspire HER to fight the fight, just as her music inspired an entire generation. Sadly, Ms. Ronstadt joins the ranks of those affected by this difficult disease. We hope she finds the support she needs to cope with the challenges that lie ahead. Linda: to quote one of your hits, we’re “gonna love you…. for a long, long time.”
Marilyn PortraitMarilyn Okonow is the volunteer conductor of Tremble Clefs choral group, a program of JF&CS Parkinson’s Family Support. Marilyn engages the singers with great sincerity and heartfelt warmth and acceptance. She creates a sense of community and makes each participant feel welcome and appreciated. Marilyn gets to know each individual, highlighting his or her strengths and quirks with a kind sense of humor.
marilynliptonokonow.com/linda-ronstadt/
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Post by eddiejinnj on Dec 12, 2018 8:15:05 GMT -5
The last story above is very heartwarming!!!!!! Thanks for posting!!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 12, 2018 17:23:40 GMT -5
The last story above is very heartwarming!!!!!! Thanks for posting!!!! eddiejinnj Yeah, that was a nice story. If there is one story like this there are probably lots more we haven't heard about. Linda has been getting LOTS of love and honors since her announcement. I hope that positive energy empowers her in her struggle as so many millions are cheering for her. That can be the upside of celebrity even for a reluctant one like Linda Ronstadt.
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Post by bennyboy1974 on Dec 15, 2018 3:18:44 GMT -5
She’s just cancelled all upcoming appearances into May next year.
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Post by musedeva on Dec 29, 2018 0:13:12 GMT -5
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Post by musedeva on Dec 29, 2018 0:15:20 GMT -5
Just ordering one of these for my fam!
The Video is of a Parkinsons patient and it has helped him sooo much!
Remind MamaCitah!!!
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Post by germancanadian on Jan 3, 2019 18:43:42 GMT -5
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 9, 2019 2:09:32 GMT -5
While this is about Alzheimer's I have absolutely NO doubt Parkinson's has similar or the same causes. It just depends on a person's biological makeup and strengths which one they get...or both. One can learn a lot when reading the comments sections below the youtube videos:
Alzheimer’s Is Not Normal Aging — And We Can Cure It | Samuel Cohen | TED Talks
TED Published on Oct 16, 2015 More than 40 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase drastically in the coming years. But no real progress has been made in the fight against the disease since its classification more than 100 years ago. Scientist Samuel Cohen shares a new breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research from his lab as well as a message of hope. “Alzheimer’s is a disease,” Cohen says, “and we can cure it.”
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more.
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 12, 2019 2:07:52 GMT -5
Overview Sharry Edwards is the pioneer in the study of Human BioAcoustic Biology. Her 30 years of research is being used at the Institute of BioAcoustic Biology in Albany, OH. Currently, Edwards and her team at Sound Health are using the human voice and the associated frequencies to help clients with Parkinson's Disease in addition to many other chronic illnesses.
Sharry Edwards' work is now included in The Duke University Encyclopedia of New Medicine, by Leonard A. Wisnecki and The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine, by Lucy Anderson. The effects of BioAcoustic Biology, now accepted by these prestigious medical encyclopedias, have unlimited health and wellness potential.
According to Edwards, "BioAcoustics Voice Spectral Analysis can detect hidden or underlying stresses in the body that are expressed as disease." Vocal prints can identify toxins, pathogens and nutritional supplements that are too low or too high. In addition, vocal prints can be used to match the most compatible treatment remedy to each client. The introduction of the proper low frequency sound to the body, indicated through voice analysis, has been shown to help people who currently experience the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.
www.youtube.com/channel/UCh8Dlbqo6plM861veeO6JDQ
www.soundhealthoptions.com/
www.lifespirit.org/shri1.html
Sharry on Parkinsons Recovery-20110223 2302-1.mp4
Parkinsons.wmv
soundhealth Published on Apr 26, 2011
Neuromotor degenerative disorders such as Parkinson's are on the rise. Why? Who/what is responsible: Poor Diet, genetics, increased electrical interference, spinal deterioration, nerve dysfunction?
Recent research done by the Institute of BioAcoustic Biology under the supervision of Sharry Edwards indicates that there is a more insidious, man-made cause that can be easily identified and ultimately reversed for most Parkinson's sufferers.
Please join us as we release this information to the public.
miraclesofnonmedicinepart2.wmvExciting Discoveries From Analysis of Voice ProfilesBroadcast in Health 7 years ago
listen: www.blogtalkradio.com/parkinsons-recovery/2011/04/13/help-for-persons-currently-experiencing-the-symptoms-of-parkinsons-disease
Sharry Edwards from Sound Health has been systematically analyzing the commonalities across voice profiles that have been taken of people with Parkinsons symptoms. Some of the profiles were taken from listeners of my radio show. Others were taken from people who attended the Parkinsons Recovery Summit in March.
I pronounce the following without reservation: You are going to be truly amazed at what she has discovered. You will also be very surprised about the factors she has identified that are common to Parkinson's Disease. Her research discoveries will inspire a different approach to the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's symptoms.
Get ready to be excited and dazzled. This show will knock your socks off without even taking your shoes off. Sharry will be joined by Dr. Roman Chrucky, MD, who will discuss his own experience with voice profiling. I believe this is the medicine of the future. The exciting part is that it is available to us all now.
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Post by musedeva on Jan 12, 2019 15:25:01 GMT -5
AWESOME post above!!! I started researching this body of work about 10-15 years ago...I think the main bugaboo now is electronic interferance, i.e 5G towers/EMF from wifi etc.,
I have always had serious sinus problems, couple of surgeries and I am sure this is part and parcel of my annoying "nasal" sound influence on my own vocal.....about to start a run of "Serrapeptase" to heal further
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 17, 2019 1:49:59 GMT -5
Linda Ronstadt Cancels Speaking Engagementsby Best Classic Bands Staff
Singer Linda Ronstadt, who revealed in 2013 that she has Parkinson’s disease and can no longer sing, has canceled two scheduled speaking engagements that were planned for May 2019. Both The Town Hall in New York City and the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, N.J., have posted notices to their websites announcing the cancellations.
The notice on the Mayo site says, “Due to an ongoing health issue, Linda Ronstadt regretfully has to cancel all upcoming appearances, including her scheduled event at MPAC on May 2, 2019. Ms. Ronstadt thanks her many fans who were looking forward to her May 2 appearance, and hopes that she can return at a future date.” Refund details are then given.
Ronstadt had been easing back into the public eye with a series of speaking engagements, titled “A Conversation With Linda Ronstadt.” She did appear at several West Coast dates this fall.
According to an article written by Joel Selvin and published in the San Francisco Chronicle, at earlier events in Arizona, the 72-year-old Ronstadt “recollected her career interspersed with snippets of recordings and videos. She even answered questions from the audience.” Selvin added, “Reviews from those events noted, with some surprise, how funny Ronstadt was, as if she has finally made public the brilliant, chatty, outgoing private self her friends have always known.
Ronstadt’s last performance as a singer took place in 2009 and she has spent most of her time since then out of the public eye. The singer, who now lives in San Francisco, now speaks in what Selvin describes as a “whisper.” Although she works out in a gym and with a physical trainer, and takes medication to control the disease, she recognizes that she will never improve to the point that she can sing again.
Related: A look back at Ronstadt’s Heart Like a Wheel album
In an interview published previously by Best Classic Bands, Ronstadt was asked if she would still be singing if she hadn’t contracted Parkinson’s. “You can’t tell what would have happened if you’d gone on a different path,” she said. “I know I’d be singing because I sang my whole life since I was born. I’d at least be singing in the shower or driving my car or harmonizing with somebody. But I can’t do any of that now. I’m grateful for the fact that I can talk. I don’t know how much longer that’s going to last.”
Ronstadt published Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir in 2013.
bestclassicbands.com/linda-ronstadt-cancels-speaking-tour-12-4-18/
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Post by musedeva on Jan 17, 2019 20:07:28 GMT -5
that is absolutely incredible.......a whisper? its like Parkinsons deliberately focused on her vocal? there are soo many many and vast alternative healing methodologies......i truly wonder if she tried any of them.....
All the best for LInda right here and right now
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Post by musedeva on Jan 17, 2019 20:13:22 GMT -5
I think these cats are in the Bay area....she should sign up for the clinical trials!! Also Les Silverman vocal therapy for Parkinsons.....she's got to know of all this stuff,,right? sites.google.com/view/pdzhittya
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Post by musedeva on Jan 17, 2019 20:15:07 GMT -5
Oh! They're back east....send Aaron!!
Zhittya has gone throughout the United States, and around the world in an attempt to inform the world about a possible breakthrough in medical science! Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease, ALS, Multiple System Atrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, stroke recovery, and more could be treated or even cured with our biological drug FGF-1. If you are interested in attending one (or more!) of our many presentations you can view them on this page: Tuesday, February 5, 2019 Georgia, St. Simons Island Two presentations will be given at Centered for life. The first presentation will be given at 12 noon and a second presentation at 7 pm (EST). The presentations will be the same. You can RSVP here. This event is hosted by the Centered for Life organization, and will focus on Zhittya's hypothesis on the cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease. Georgia, St. Simmons Island: 2487 Demere Rd., #500, Saint Simons Island. Georgia
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 20, 2019 0:06:31 GMT -5
Marvel Molecule Could Lead to Treatments for Myriad Inflammatory Diseases
Parkinson's goes viral: but this time in a good wayNew Therapeutic Pipeline Program Grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to block inflammasome-induced neuroinflammation in Parkinson's diseaseNew Michael J. Fox Foundation research project using MCC950 to treat Parkinson's 05 Dec 16 admin Funding 0 Comments
Part of the research team who discovered MCC950 - a small molecule inflammasome inhibitor - has been awarded a Therapeutic Pipeline Program Grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
The team includes Prof Matt Cooper, A/Prof Kate Schroder and Dr Avril Robertson (Institute for Molecular Bioscience), and A/Prof Trent Woodruff and Dr Richard Gordon (School of Biomedical Sciences) from The University of Queensland.
Using MCC950, the team has shown that blocking brain inflammation can stop Parkinson's in mouse models of the disease. However, MCC950 has a short life in the body, so this project will design and test new molecules that act the same way, but are more drug-like, last longer, and could be developed as a once-a-day pill to stop brain inflammation.
We hope to prevent Parkinson's disease worsening, or if the drug can be given early enough, stop it happening all together.
Read more about this project on the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research website "Blocking Inflammasome-induced Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease with a Potent, Orally Available Small Molecule"
inflammasomelab.com/content/blog/new-michael-j-fox-foundation-research-project-using-mcc950-treat-parkinsonsBlocking Inflammasome-induced Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease with a Potent, Orally Available Small MoleculeTherapeutic Pipeline Program, 2016 Study Rationale: Our brains are full of immune cells called microglia, which fight infections and clear the brain of toxic products. In Parkinson's disease, these cells are constantly active, leading to brain inflammation that damages neurons (nerve cells). Evidence of this inflammation is found in the blood and brains of Parkinson's patients. To fight this damage, we developed small molecules (suitable to be be taken as a pill) that get into the brain, where they stopped brain inflammation in pre-clinical models of the disease. We hope this treatment could halt or even reverse Parkinson's progression.
Hypothesis: There are many different possible causes of Parkinson's involving age, genetics, diets and lifestyle. Whatever the cause, we think our immune system's response to produce inflammation in the brain is a key factor that drives Parkinson's disease, and small molecule drugs that can penetrate the brain and stop this inflammation may be able restore the health of our brain immune cells, so they can get back to 'cleaning up' brain toxins.
Study Design: We have used a small molecule, known as MCC950, to show that blocking brain inflammation can stop Parkinson's in all three models of the disease that we created. However, MCC950 has a short life in the body, so we will design and test new molecules that act the same way, but are more drug-like, last longer, and could be developed as a once-a-day pill to stop brain inflammation.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson's Disease: Labeled versions of the small molecule may be able to be used in diagnostic imaging to check for brain inflammation. An oral pill could be developed to stop brain inflammation. We hope to prevent Parkinson's disease worsening, or if the drug can be given early enough, stop it happening all together.
Next Steps for Development: We will use medicinal chemistry to design and make improved versions of the original small molecule, and test for any long-term side effects and safety issues. We aim to expose as much of the brain as possible to a once-a-day treatment, which will be a more manageable schedule than current Parkinson's treatments. If we can achieve this, then we can start further work that leads to investigative new drug approval from the Food and Drug Administration then clinical safety trials in humans.
www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/grant-detail.php?grant_id=1521 World-first pill may stop Parkinson’s10:00pm, Nov 8, 2018 Updated: 11:19pm, Nov 8A new therapy that appears to stop Parkinson’s disease “in its tracks” will begin phase-one clinical trials in humans next year.
The therapy, developed by researchers at the University of Queensland – and partly under-written by the Michael J Fox Foundation – is a world first because it stops the death of brain cells in Parkinson’s sufferers rather than managing symptoms.
If human trials echo the stunning results in animal testing, the inflammation of the brain that causes so much of the progressive damage in Parkinson’s disease (PD) could be halted by taking a single pill each day.
UQ Faculty of Medicine researcher Associate Professor Trent Woodruff said the key to the new therapy is a small molecule, MCC950 – a compound developed and abandoned 10 years ago by a big pharma company that didn’t understand how it actually worked.
At that stage, though, inflammation in the Parkinson’s brain was less well understood.
Cooling 'brains on fire' to treat Parkinson's
Parkinson’s disease, said Dr Woodruff, is characterised by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that co-ordinates motor control – and it’s the loss of dopamine that has been the focus of treatment. But it is also accompanied by this chronic inflammation that occurs as an immune response gone haywire.
It works like this: Inflammation is activated in our cells by complex proteins called inflammasomes. About five years ago, Dr Woodruff and his team found that the immune system causes the NLRP3 inflammasome to light up in Parkinson’s patients, with signals found in the brain and even in the blood.
They then found that the tiny molecule MCC950, given orally once a day, in experiments with mice, “blocked NLRP3 activation in the brain and prevented the loss of brain cells, resulting in markedly improved motor function”.
UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience researcher Professor Matt Cooper – who initially experimented with MCC950 in the treatment of an auto-inflammatory disease called Muckle-Wells syndrome that can cause deafness and kidney failure – said drug companies had traditionally tried to treat neurodegenerative disorders by blocking neurotoxic proteins that build up in the brain and cause disease.
“We have taken an alternative approach by focusing on immune cells in the brain called microglia that can clear these toxic proteins,” he said.
“With diseases of ageing such as Parkinson’s, our immune system can become over-activated, with microglia causing inflammation and damage to the brain.”
The NLRP3 inflammasome (green) is expressed by immune cells (red) in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease. Photo: University of Queensland
He said MCC950 effectively “cooled the brains on fire”, turning down microglial inflammatory activity, and allowing neurones to function normally.
This was achieved with three different models of Parkinson’s on mice. It took a further two years of tests in order to convince the editors of the prestigious journal Science Translational Medicine of the efficacy of treatment. The researchers’ paper was published on October 31.
The progress of MCC950 to market appears to be happening rather quickly. Both the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Ireland-based drug company Inflazome are keen for human trials to start as soon as possible.
Dr Woodruff said much of the preclinical work was already completed.
The biggest hurdle, apart from funding, is that MCC950 came off a patent. This means the researchers have had to develop variations of the original drug for intellectual property reasons. Those new drugs are currently being tested and, according to Dr Woodruff, proving to be even more effective.
There are 10 million people with Parkinson’s disease worldwide. They still have a few years to wait and see if the magic in the lab can be replicated in people.
The phase-one tests next year will determine whether or not the drug is safe in healthy people. All going well, volunteers with Parkinson’s will be recruited for phase-two testing in 2020.
Whether Michael J Fox himself will be one of those volunteers is not yet known.
thenewdaily.com.au/life/wellbeing/2018/11/08/michael-j-fox-parkinsons-therapy/
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Post by mused on Jan 20, 2019 13:19:49 GMT -5
Turmeric!! The Queen of Anti Inflammation...we have an elderly relative who has a benign mengioma from a fall near 30 years ago.....she had a surgery and the body reacted with inflammation, naturally, and the mengioma had swelling around it and caused her a grand mal seizure....they wanted to put her on horrific epilepsy drugs to "prevent" inflammation/seizure
instead....a faithful diet 3 X's a day of organic potent turmeric with coconut oil has kept her off the meds and her inflammation very very low
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Post by sliderocker on Jan 22, 2019 22:27:15 GMT -5
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 24, 2019 3:46:06 GMT -5
www.ktvu.com/community/281718948-videoPOSTED: SEP 18, 2017 03:44PM PDT
COMMUNITY BAY AREA PEOPLE Linda Ronstadt Legendary singer Linda Ronstadt, sits down with Claudine to talk about her music and her life with Parkinson's Disease.
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Post by the Scribe on Mar 23, 2019 5:54:07 GMT -5
The woman who can smell Parkinson's disease - BBC NewsSmell of Parkinson’s finally identified, early detection test on the wayMEDICAL Rich Haridy March 20th, 2019
A woman who noticed her husband developed a distinctive smell has led to skin-secreted volatile biomarkers indicating Parkinson's disease being identified(Credit: DesignPicsInc/Depositphotos)
In the early 1980s, nurse Joy Milne began to notice a distinct musky odor on her husband. A few years later her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but Milne didn't connect the two disparate events until she later joined a Parkinson's charity and started meeting other sufferers. It was here she began to notice every person with Parkinson's disease could be identified by this same unusual and distinct odor.
In 2012, Milne approached a neuroscientist giving a talk on Parkinson's and claimed to be able to smell the disease. The scientist decided to test her claim. Six Parkinson's patients, and six healthy subjects wore clean t-shirts for a single day, and the 12 t-shirts were then individually bagged and presented to Milne. After extensive sniff testing, Milne ultimately guessed 11 out of 12 correctly, only misidentifying one t-shirt as being worn by a Parkinson's patient, when in fact it was a healthy subject.
Since then, a team of scientists has been working to isolate and identify the compounds Milne associated with Parkinson's. Now, after several years of work, the researchers claim they've been successful and suggest the discovery could lead to an early detection test for the devastating disease.
Sebum is an oily substance secreted by the skin. Prior research has revealed that Parkinson's patients tend to excessively produce sebum and the hypothesis was that specific molecules in the sebum secreted by Parkinson's patients was what Milne was smelling.
Using mass spectrometry the researchers zoomed in on samples of sebum from Parkinson's patients, revealing a handful of specific volatile molecular biomarkers were unique to the sebum of Parkinson's patients. The researchers subsequently brought Milne into the laboratory to confirm the odor of these components and she indeed verified they did signal the "smell" of Parkinson's.
It is still early stages for the research, but it's suggested that by tracking the levels of these specific molecules in sebum samples, the disease can be identified in a variety of different stages. Milne has even anecdotally reported that the odor she sensed did rise and fall depending on how effectively her husband's treatment was working. The hope is that as well as leading to an early detection tool, the test could track the progression of the disease in an easy and non-invasive way.
"Now we have proved the molecular basis for the unique odor associated with Parkinson's we want to develop this into a test," says Perdita Barran, a scientist working on the project from the University of Manchester. "This could have a huge impact not only for earlier and conclusive diagnosis but also help patients monitor the effect of therapy. We hope to apply this to at risk patient groups to see if we can diagnose pre-motor symptoms, and assist with potential early treatment."
Milne's husband passed away from the disease in 2015, but her remarkable discovery could improve the lives of millions around the world. Effective clinical tools arising from this research are still a few years away but the ability to detect and track this disease through volatile skin biomarkers has the potential to revolutionize diagnosis and treatment.
The new research was published in the journal ACS Central Science.
Source: University of Manchester newatlas.com/parkinsons-disease-smell-odor-test/58966/
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