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On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 17:48:11 -0400 Brightline <[log in to unmask]> writes: > Nerve Factor Infusion Improves Parkinson's Disease > ABC News - USA > ... infusion of substance derived from specialized brain cells > improves symptoms and quality of life for patients with Parkinson's > disease (PD), according to a UK ... Below is the full text of this article. Please note that the British patients in this study - who are described as having significantly reduced symptoms, and increased quality of life after two years on GDNF, with NO serious side effects, are among thhe patients whose continued use of GDNF has been denied by the Amgen Corporation. Amgen halted all GDNF treatements in September 2004. Since then the British trial participants along with their counterparts in the US they have been pleading with Amgen to reinstate the treatments that had made such a difference in theri lives. Amgen has refused. These trial participants are now seriously worsening, returning to their wheelchairs; loosing their quality of life and their independence. Nerve Factor Infusion Improves Parkinson's Disease Thu Feb 24, 2005 03:05 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Continuous infusion of substance derived from specialized brain cells improves symptoms and quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a UK report. The substance, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), is obtained from lab-grown glial cells, which play a supporting role to neurons in the brain. The clinical effects of 12 months of continuous infusion of GDNF into an area of the brain called the putamen were reported earlier, and now Dr. Steven S. Gill from Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, UK, and colleagues report the results after 2 years of continuous infusion in five patients with Parkinson's. At 24 months, the team reports in the Annals of Neurology, there was about a 50 percent improvement in movement control and functional performance. All aspects of quality of life were improved at both 12 and 24 months, the researchers note. Most measures of neuropsychological function remained unchanged at both 12 and 24 months, the results indicate, whereas a parallel comparison group experienced significant declines on several measures. GDNF was tolerated well, the report indicates, though all patients experienced intermittent electric shock-like sensations down the spine and into the limbs upon flexing the neck. "Our results indicate GDNF's potential as a therapeutic agent in Parkinson's disease, from its ability not only to provide symptomatic relief, but also to possibly modify the disease state, distinct from other current therapeutic strategies," Gill and colleagues conclude. "However, continuing dopamine replacement was required." --------------------------------------------------------------- See what you can do to help the trial participants http://www.grassrootsconnection.com/gdnf__what_you_can_do.htm and http://www.pdpipeline.org/focus_updates.htm Linda Herman ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn