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PD Gene and the Udall Bill Call me a cynical old grouch, but reading the NIH press release about the Parkinson's gene, I couldn't help noticing the frequent mention of Alzheimer's, possible linkage to Alzheimer's, PD work that might help Alzheimer's, etc, etc. Now it's certainly hard to assign or justify research support funding that benefits only one disease, to the exclusion of all others. And it's an unhappy situation if research proposals are judged on the basis of which disease the research will be about. But I get the distinct feeling that PD research is treated like a poor relation, welcome only for what it may bring for the rest of the family. And if passage of the Udall Bill compels NIH to allot a bigger slice of its budgetary pie to PD research, they will still be in total control of just which area of PD research to back. And I bet in that event, PD research having fallout for Alzheimer's or other areas that NIH likes will be the heavy favorite. That way, NIH can claim to fulfil any mandate for PD without really losing anywhere else. I see irony that government support for PD is about a tenth of that for Alzheimer's, and to find this Parkinson's gene so proudly hailed, WE had to give THEM a half $million of our privately raised funds. Go figure. Joe J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013