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The source of this article is Arrive.net: http://tinyurl.com/ado3q Parkinson's/tuberculosis Researcher Lawrence Broxmeyer MD Interview Summery: Recently, it was once again our pleasure to sit down and talk about the devastating illness, this time Parkinson’s Disease, which he feels is of bacterial cause [Medical Hypotheses (2002) 59(4), 373–377 Elsevier Science Ltd]. Distribution Source : ArriveNet Date : Sunday, July 03, 2005 Whitestone, New York -- (ArriveNet - Jul 03, 2005) -- Booksandauthors.net: I notice that you wrote Parkinson's- Another Look, the book and accompanying peer-reviewed article which links tuberculosis-like bacteria to Parkinson’s Disease, a couple of years ago. Is it as relevant today as it was then? Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: Probably more so. In November of last year, Web MD reported that researchers found a common tuberculosis drug which could help Parkinson’s disease and perhaps Alzheimer's as well. Booksandauthors.net: What drug was that? Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: The drug was rifampicin. Although better known as a tuberculosis drug, rifampicin is also an effective treatment for leprosy, a disease related to TB. More than a decade ago, researchers discovered that leprosy patients on long-term rifampin therapy had less dementia and senile plaques in their brains than untreated patients. That study led to intense research on how the drug might affect brain diseases in general. Booksandauthors.net: And the recent study, where was that performed. Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: Dr. Anthony Fink, PhD at the University of California, Santa Cruz was the lead researcher. Booksandauthors.net: How exactly does the drug work? Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: During Parkinson’s these researchers noticed that a common brain protein, a type of amyloid called alpha-synclein gathers into fiber-like particles called fibrils that clog the brain. Fink’s team showed that rifampacin stops these fibrils from forming. Perhaps even more importantly they found already formed fibrils unraveled. It was emphasized that clearly more work needs to be done. But there are strong implications here. Booksandauthors.net: Towards treatment? Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: That and also prevention and also the fact that it is pointing in a specific way towards a bacterial cause. Booksandauthors.net: Which just happens to be along the lines of the tuberculosis-like germ you originally wrote about causing Parkinson's Disease and which subsequently appeared on Medline in a peer-reviewed article taken from your book Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: Yes. But the implications of these very same normal amyloid proteins which aggregate into disease causing fibers goes way, way beyond just Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and in the same November issue of Chemistry & Biology in which Fink’s study appeared there was an editorial. In it Dr. Aphrodite Kapumiotu of the Institure of Biochemistry, RWTH Aachen, Germany notes recent evidence points to similar processes going on in mad cow disease and even in amyloid pancreatic changes in type-2 diabetes. Broxmeyer’s Parkinson’s book and article were previously reviewed by Dr. Anil Aggrawal who later wrote to him: “I feel you are one of the most original thinkers our era has seen.” Booksandauthors.net: In browsing thru your work on Medline and elsewhere I have come across similar thoughts, though in the case of Mad Cow you have linked this and Creutzfeldt-Jakob to bovine tuberculosis. Fascinating article, but what ever happened to prions? Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: Nothing really, except in my opinion the concept needed an upgrade. Although unmentioned, also supportive of Lawrence Broxmeyer MD’s thoughts was a study earlier this year by a Korean University, published in the Journal of Neurology. Here drinking a glass or two of milk was said to have raised the risk of Parkinson’s disease in middle-aged men. This tied in nicely with Broxmeyer’s work on Bovine tuberculosis as causative to Mad Cow, Creutzfeldt-Jakob as well as Parkinson’s [Thinking the unthinkable: Alzheimer’s, Creutzfeldt–Jakob and Mad Cow disease: the age-related reemergence of virulent, foodborne, bovine tuberculosis Medical Hypotheses (2005) 64, 699–705. Elsevier Ltd]. Booksandauthors.net: Getting back to Parkinson's, what about stem cell research? Lawrence Broxmeyer, M.D.: It is too early to make a definitive statement in that direction. Booksandauthors.net: Nevertheless, what are your feelings? Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD: Just keep in mind that stem cells are being used to replace areas already devastated by disease. We live in an age where science and medicine are encouraged to apply new technology towards older afflictions and thus the rush to surgical and stem-cell correction of Parkinson’s. However, here as elsewhere, the roots of the present often lie deep and securely buried in the past. In Parkinson's - Another Look, the book and the article, I simply encourage scientist and laymen alike to take a moment out to uncover that past. Booksandauthors.net: And we applaud your efforts for having done so, Dr. Broxmeyer. Thank you for joining with us again. Downloading these and other cutting edge Medline articles by Lawrence Broxmeyer MD, as well as his on-going research, can be found by going to http://medamericaresearch.org. Distribution: Med America Research, Lawrence Broxmeyer, Lawrence Broxmeyer MD, Dr. Lawrence Broxmeyer ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn