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At 12:42 1/29/97 -0500, Margaret Monty wrote: >Can anyone help this guy out? If you can, please respond to his >email address because he is not a list member. > >------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- >From: [log in to unmask] >Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 12:28:30 -0500 >Subject: Genetics > >Dear Mrs. Monty, > > I was wondering if you could tell me or you would know where to find out if >genetics was at all connected to Parkinsons disease. If so, is it a >chromosomal mutation, or gene mutation. If it is not directly involved to >genetics, then what causes the low amounts of dopamine to be produced and why >do the cells in the substantia nigra to die? Thank you for your time. > > Matthew McKee > Matthew, I do not know the answer to all your questions, in fact nobody does, however I can talk about it a bit. The curent thinking is that the cause of PD is a genetic predisposition which is triggered by an some environmental factor or factors which have not been positively identified. Epideiologic studies have demonstrated a clear relationship between various agricultural chemicals and the risk of developing PD. Recent studies have also discovered a genetic factor ( I do not have the reference with me just now). It is generally thought that the neurons die by a process called apoptosis, however I know of one study that seems to indicate that they do not die but simply stop producing dopamine, for an unkown reason. Evidently there is lots of room for research. What we don't know is at least as big as what we do know. ---Milo Milo V. Anderson, Ph.D. Knowledge is free at the library; Box 417 bring your own contianer. Angwin, CA 94508 voice 707 965 2508 ODE TO A METAPHOR fax 707 965 3148 Ilustrations are useful, e-mail [log in to unmask] Or what's a meta-FOR.