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I think you are onto something here. FYI, the scientific community also seems aware of the correlation between diabetes and PD, but I haven't seen any suggestion of a cause/effect relation as yet. As for restoring host production of dopamine, the genetic engineers are working on it, but success looks a long way off. I think first they will have to find out how to make the SN cells stop dying. Cheers, Joe J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks CA 91403 On Mon, 1 Apr 1996 [log in to unmask] wrote: > Friends, > > I'm the PARKINSONIAN who published the PD-Diabetes link survey. You can find > it in YOUNG AND RESTLESS, Sept. 1993,the newsletter of the APDA Young > Parkinson's Support Group, Boston, Massachusetts. > > Contact me at 9 Range Rd, Portland, Maine for a copy, or Ken Bernstein, Y and > R editor, Newton, Massachusetts. > > Much credit goes to Ken for publishing my survey results. > > I have now surveyed two more Parkinsonians in Maine. Both have a diabetic > sibling, or parent/aunt/uncle. PD skipped a generation, and appears in the > grandparent of one person. So, I now have 19 out of 23 PD'ers with a > Diabetic close relative!! > That is an astounding 83% rate of PD-Diabetes links! > > I think that WHEN( not IF) THE UDALL BILL PASSES, someone out there should > do family studies of PD-DIabetes links, while someone else should develop a > blood screening test for the gene(s) involved. > > Dr. Duvoisin at Rutgers , the new APDA medical chairperson, is interested in > genetics. Hopefully, if enough of you start checking out the PD-Diabetes > link, we will show the importance of getting RESEARCH FUNDS in this area. > > I think the gene (or genes) involved control(s) the dopamine > pathway: > > tyrosine.....DOPA.....dopamine....noradrenalin....adrenalin(epinephrine). > > Genetic disruption of dopamine production or transport could cause PD, while > disruption of the adrenalin(epinephrine) supply could cause a glucose > intolerance or diabetes problem, since insulin is inhibited ( regulated)by > epinephrine. > > I would imagine that instead of masking our symptoms with dopamine derived > from Sinemet, what we really need is to figure out what enzyme(s) are > genetically programmed to control the creation of dopamine in the substantia > nigra cells, > and synthesize a drug that will restore or mimic that enzyme. > > Then, we would be curing, not masking Parkinson's. > > Any of you out there agree? DIsagree? Please write!! > > Ivan Suzman ([log in to unmask]) 9 Range Road, Portland, Maine, FAX (207) > 878-8950; tel (207) 797-8488 Office hours: 8:30am-6:00pm . >