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initially posted 970930 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Striatal Implant Shows Efficacy In Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WESTPORT, Sep 30, 1997 (Reuters) - Attendees at a satellite symposium during this year's annual meeting of the American Neurological Association in San Diego heard this week that preliminary results with fetal pig cells implanted into the striatum appear to improve the clinical status of patients with Parkinson's disease. Dr. Samuel Ellias of the Turnbull Lab for the Study of Motor Control and Tremor of Boston University explained that the procedure is designed to increase dopamine levels in the brain. Among the 12 patients who have undergone the procedure, several have had a decrease in parkinsonian symptoms and none has shown signs of implant rejection. "It's a good start for us," Dr. Ellias said in a release. "Some patients have been followed for more than 2 years now and have not had any adverse effects from the surgery." He expects controlled clinical trials to begin as early as November. Also from San Diego...SIBIA Neurosciences, Inc., based in La Jolla, CA, announced at the same symposium that their investigational drug, SIB-1508Y, showed safety and tolerability in single-dose Phase I trials for treatment of Parkinson's disease. The researchers administered SIB-1508Y to 48 healthy men. Study subjects experienced some dose-related lightheadedness, headache, nausea and vomiting. Subjects who ate prior to ingestion of the drug could tolerate twice the dosage of those who fasted prior to ingestion. "We are pleased by the safety profile exhibited by SIB-1508Y...We look forward to initiating studies in Parkinson's disease patients shortly, with the intent of demonstrating a positive effect on both cognitive and motor deficits," Dr. David E. McClure, vice-president of Clinical Development at SIBIA said in a PR Newswire report. SIB-1508Y increases levels of both dopamine and acetylcholine and improves cognitive and motor function in animal models of Parkinson's disease, according to the investigators. Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700 Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. http://www.reutershealth.com/news/docs/199709/19970930ddd.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ janet [log in to unmask]