This is good news for PWPs, ALS and stroke victims.  Diane emailed me the
entire article.  Thanks Maryse for posting this, Ray
----- Original Message -----
From: "M.Schild" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 12:45 AM
Subject: Preventing Parkinson's Symptoms May Be Possible


> Newswise — A trio of studies released this week at the Society for
> Neuroscience Annual Meeting marks an important step toward treating the
> millions of people worldwide who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou
> Gehrig’s disease) and the devastating effects of stroke.
> The studies show how a naturally occurring protein called KDI tri-peptide
> (KDI) can serve as a defense mechanism to prevent brain damage normally
> caused by Parkinson’s disease. They also demonstrate KDI’s potential to
> treat
> ALS as well as stroke, according to lead researcher Päivi Liesi, M.D.,
> Ph.D.,
> of the Brain Laboratory at the University of Helsinki in Finland.
> “There is now no question that KDI can be therapeutic and help prevent and
> even reverse some of the outcomes of these devastating neurological
> disorders,” said Dr. Liesi, a former visiting scientist at the National
> Institutes of Health (NIH).
> PARKINSON'S DISEASE MAY BE PREVENTABLE
> In the Parkinson’s study, live rats were first injected with KDI and then
> with
> a drug known as 6-hydroxy-dopamine, which is widely used to mimic
> Parkinson’s
> disease in the laboratory. The results showed that a single injection of
> KDI
> prevented Parkinson’s-like brain cell death and that KDI protected the
> rats’
> brain tissue from the massive destruction occurring in rats not injected
> with
> KDI. These findings show for the first time the tremendous potential for
> the
> development of a new biological treatment that can prevent damage from
> Parkinson’s before symptoms even begin to show.
> “This is a groundbreaking approach to treating Parkinson’s disease,” said
> George Martin, Ph.D., former scientific director for the National
> Institute
> on Aging. “Rather than focusing on treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s
> after
> they have already affected people’s lives, these results show that
> symptoms
> may be treatable from the start.”
> NEW INSIGHT INTO ALS ALSO POINTS TO KDI AS POTENTIAL THERAPY
> The second study looked at humans and mice with ALS, a devastating
> neurological disease that causes neurons in the brain and spinal cord to
> die.
> It showed that in ALS, the spinal cord cells attempt to produce increased
> amounts of KDI, and that in humans this increased production of KDI even
> correlates with the severity of the disease. “It appears that the body
> tries
> to protect itself by producing KDI,” Dr. Liesi said, “but in most cases it
> is
> not able to produce enough KDI on its own to stop the damage.” Providing
> additional KDI may provide further benefit, she believes.
> This discovery reveals for the first time that KDI is involved in ALS, and
> further underscores the emerging prospect that KDI may be used as a
> treatment
> for ALS. In particular, as previous research has already shown, KDI
> inhibits
> certain receptors known to be particularly relevant in the death of
> neurons
> in ALS.
> EFFECTS OF STROKE MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED
> The third study showed that KDI may also be able to protect against and
> treat
> the debilitating effects of stroke, which in America alone affects 700,000
> people every year. Scientists again used rats to mimic the impact that
> stroke
> has on humans. They found that the brain reacts to stroke damage by
> naturally
> producing KDI in the healthy tissue surrounding the seriously damaged
> brain
> areas. “We are currently testing KDI’s ability to prevent stroke damage,
> and
> based on our results so far I feel very optimistic,” says Dr. Liesi.
> LATEST RESULTS VERIFY THE PREDICTED POTENTIAL OF KDI
> All three studies build on, strengthen and further expand research that
> was
> published in July in the Journal of Neuroscience Research – see
> http://www.brainlab.fi – where Dr. Liesi demonstrated one of the ways KDI
> protects and repairs the central nervous system. In previous research,
> paralyzed rats injected with KDI were able to bear weight and even walk
> after
> only three months. The latest studies underline the potential of KDI in
> the
> treatment of a variety of central nervous system diseases and trauma.
> Furthermore, as KDI occurs naturally in the human body, no toxic side
> effects
> are expected and have not been seen in studies so far. Human clinical
> trials
> with KDI are currently planned to begin within the coming year.
> Details of Dr. Liesi’s research and further information can also be found
> at
> http://www.brainlab.fi, a site affiliated with the University of Helsinki.
> The University is one of the centers of excellence among universities in
> Europe, concentrating on high-level scientific research and researcher
> education. The results produced through the research and teaching carried
> out
> at the University have been widely acclaimed worldwide.
>
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