Hi folks,

The Parkinson's Disease Society of the United Kingdom Medical Research
Conference was held in Leeds last week.  Julia and I attended and found it
quite optimistic in tone.  I did not go equipped, or with the intention, to
produce a detailed report, but thought I would briefly mention a few
optimistic points which stood out in my mind and might cheer people.

NEW DRUG TREATMENTS.  Dr Andrew Lees gave a talk on new drug treatments.  Dr
Lees is a Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and
Neurosurgery, and at the Middlesex Hospital, and Senior Lecturer in the
Institute of Neurology.  He is co-director of the Parkinsons Disease Brain
Research Centre and a member of the Medical Advisory Panel of the Society.
He has run the Parkinsons Disease Clinic within Bloomsbury Health Authority
since 1975 and pioneered both the use of Selegiline and Apomorphine (in
collaboration with Gerald Stern), in the treatment of PD in the UK.  His
practice involves the care of more than 400 patients with PD.  (I am lucky
enough to be one of them so I was pretty interested in what he would say).

He gave an interesting talk on how treatments for PD had developed from
pre-levadopa days to the present.  He gave details of the new agonists just
recently released or about to be released - Tolcapone, Entecapone,
Pramipexole, Ropinerole etc.  It was his view that the new range of drugs
would be a real step forward in the control of PD symptoms.

He ended by saying that he felt that it was his opinion that by the time he
retired, he expected drug advances to be such that, PD symptoms could be
kept fully under control. (I felt like sticking my hand up and asking him
exactly how old he was and at what age did he expect to retire!) Anyway, the
message on the new drugs was very positive and cheering.


CURABLE OR NOT CURABLE?  Professor Peter Jenner gave a talk entitled "What's
Gone Wrong".  Professor Jenner is currently Professor of Pharmacology and
Head of Department at Kings College, London.  He is also co-director of the
Neurodegenerative Disease Research Centre, Kings College.  He is head of a
large international research team which is internationally funded and is
carrying out research into the cause, treatment and cure of
neurodegenerative illnesses, particularly Parkinson's Disease.

Amongst the many things he said, the point that really struck home, was that
a few years ago PD was in his "non-curable" tray but that he had now
switched it to his "curable" tray.

CARBON MONOXIDE.  One of the speakers, (I can't recall which one  - could
anyone refresh me?) mentioned that a research study was being carried out on
the carbon monoxide and Parkinsons connection.  This interested me after the
results and tests I discovered and reported to the group last year in
connection with carbon monoxide.  Jacob, your case may well be of great
interest to this line of research.

IRON.  The subject of iron found in the brain was also mentioned.  In
response to questioning about iron in the diet, it was opined that dietary
iron was not responsible for the iron found in the brain of PD sufferers
because the "route" was different.  Personally, I would have thought this
may be a point to consider in as much as some PDers try to reduce their iron
intake for this reason.

>From what I can see, it would be easy for a PDer to end up with low iron
intake anyway.  Especially if their intake of red meat was very low.  Ever
helpful Kathryne Holden may well comment on this.

Hope these brief points are interesting.




Ernie Peters <[log in to unmask]>