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Progress Seen Toward Parkinson's Gene Therapy In a development that could one day lead to new therapies for Parkinson's disease, U.S. scientists said Thursday they have used gene therapy in rat brains to protect nerve cells that make a crucial chemical. A University of Rochester team used a modified version of the common cold virus to deliver into rat brains a gene that produces a protein messenger needed to protect nerve cells that make dopamine. Parkinson's patients lack of dopamine leads to gradual deterioration of motor abilities. (Reuters, NewsPage 2/6)