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Subject: Immuno-supressive Drugs and PD Hello everyone, I have been very interested to see the reports on the apparent ability of some of the immuno-supressive drugs which are routinely used in transplant operations, to regenerate damaged brain cells. This has provoked the understandable reaction: These are drugs which are already cleared for use on people - let's GO! At the risk of being regarded as a spoil-sport, I think we should keep two points in mind which may be important. 1) The reports referred to 'modified versions' of the drugs such as FK506 and cyclosporin: These modifications may effectively render all or some of the clearance testing on these drugs irrelevant, requiring re-tests. 2) This is just a guess, but I would not be surprised to find that like the vast majority of drugs that the general public take, the size of the molecule is too large to get across the blood/brain barrier - that amazing filter that lets levodopa through, but not carbidopa for instance. If this is so, then All of the previous testing is irrelevant, amd we go back to square one as far as clearance testing. It would also mean that the drug would have to be injected directly into the brain, but that is something which we are more familiar with. So there I go spreading gloom and misery- sorry folks Regards, Brian Collins