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---Continued - Making Progress Against Parkinson's "They wanted to recognize that someone in Nancy's advanced state still has the courage and strength to get up there and advocate," Bob Martone said. While medications and surgery are the current treatment of choice for Parkinson's patients, experts are looking to stem-cell research to provide a potential cure. Stem cells have the ability to grow into any type of cell and hold promise for treating a variety of brain disorders. Previous research has been controversial because stem cells typically come from fetal tissue. However, recent studies have found that stem cells also may be taken from adult bone marrow. Until a cure is found, the new Experiemental Therapies Center with the Baylor Parkinson's center will continue to search for innovative treatments, as well as train young physicians and future scientific investigators, Jankovic said. The End Inserted into this article was another one. LOCAL STUDY TO FOCUS ON VETERANS OF ALL ETHNICITIES By Deborah Mann Lake - Special to the Chronicle. Researchers at the Houston VA Hospital and the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health have launched a study of newly diagnosed Parkinson's patients comparing the incidence of the disease in the general public with veterans who may have been exposed to toxins. In addition, the study is designed to determine the incidence of Parking's disease among the various ethnics groups in Harris County. "Most studies, because they have been done at Midwestern institutions, have predominately only included Caucasions," said Dr. Eugene C. Lai, a VA Neurologist and associate proffesor of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine. "Many experts believe that Harris County reflects the ethnic makeup of the nation in 25 years, and we can get a good idea of how the disease will affect all races." Lai said the ability to determine the occurence of the Parkinson's in different ethnic groups also could help identify a genetic marker passed down in families. The prevalence of the Parkinson's is 0.3 percent in Americans, but grows to 3 percent for those older that 80. Some experts theorize that the incidence in veterans is higher. "The other purpose of the study is to see how often it occurs in veterans and see if environmental factors in exposures to agents or substance are related",Lai said. For example, Lai said, Vietnam veterans were exposed to chemicals such as Agent Orange, while Gulf War veterans were exposed to toxins released in oil refinery fires. L:i said the Veteran's Administration also is setting up six center ot study Parkinson's and the Houston VA hope to be one of them. The end. "