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On Sat, 31 Aug 1996 12:41:15 -0400, Jacob Drollinger asked about information on GDNF: Jacob: My understanding from my wife's neurologist (in Canada) is that testing has now started on Parkinson patients. However, they are choosing those who are in the late stages of PD first. One of their concerns is that since GDNF is a growth factor it may also promote the growth of unwanted cells in the brain such as tumours, etc. Hence the testing on late stage PD patients first. My wife's neurologist did say that people like my wife (diagnosed for 6 years now) could join the test programs in about a year's time. Here is where it is important to have a neurologist who is well enough connected into the PD research community to be able to have his/her patients involved in the testing. Anyway, although it may be many years until the drug is released to all PD patients, it will be much sooner that some patients can be involved in the test programs. Norm Ichiyen (P) Ruth Ichiyen, 47, 6 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada