Hi Ivan
Good posting
> Parkinson's Disease is one of many names for a group of
> potentially fatal conditions which are all human dopamine deficiency
> disorders (DDD's).
I feel one should not accept that PD = lack of dopamine as a fact . IF this
connection is not true then it would explain the lack of progress in
PD research . Why are there no other diseases associated with other
neurotransmitter deficiencies ? Why do other conditions produce PD
symptoms ? Why do remedies like DBS and pallidotomy improve PD
symtoms when boosting the dopamine levels with drugs such as
nicotine do not ? WHY does it often only affect only half the brain
(only one side ) ?
> In recent weeks, Dr. Richard Palmiter of the University of
> Washington, working with Cell Genesys in California, has reported
> extraordinary and promising results in mice which were initially
> genetically engineered to have a DDD essentially equal to human
> Parkinson's Disease. I talked with him on Wednesday. Some 20 out of 23
> of these mice in his laboratory have been returned to virually normal,
> after the introduction via injection of a virus produced at Cell Genesys,
> Inc. of California.
Great News on the genetic malfunction cure possibilities but I dont
see any necessary dopamine connection .
>
> I believe that it is quite possible that a VIRAL origin of human
> Parkinson's is likely for at least a significant proportion of DDD's
> worldwide.
I agree entirely with this statement . MY PD history . Flu produced
ME symptoms slowly got better over years but developed stiff back .
Another flu and I developed the rest of my PD symptoms .
> Consider a few interesting facts:
>
> (1) The well-known post-swine flu encephalitis of the early part of
> this century caused innumerable cases of "Parkinson's Disease" to
> develop. These were memorialized by Dr. Oliver Sachs, in his book,
> Awakenings. The movie, "Awakenings," forever and indelibly imprinted in
> our memories by screen stars Robert De Niro and Robin Williams, recalls
> the early use of L-dopa to cause movement and communication in "frozen"
> hospital patients. The key point is that these people had been exposed
> to a devastating virus.
Actually they only supposed that it was a virus because of the flu
like qualities of the disease they have never seenor identified the
virus . I have posted a recent similar casewhere the condition was
cured using high doses of methylprednisolone ( an antiinflamatory
cortico steroid ). ( see archives for details under " Q.E.D. " )
>
> (2) It is very well known that amantadine, actually an ANTI-VIRAL
> drug, reduces tremor in PWP's (people with Parkinson's). Antibiotic drugs
> have also been reported to quell the symptoms of PWP's.
>
> (3) Horses in, I believe, Germany, develop an equine variety of DDD
> after exposure to the Bern virus. I believe this report was released in
> 1998.
>
> (4) Taiwanese women with Parkinson's are mentioned to be,
> interestingly, post- herpes viral victims.
>
> (5) I also believe that recently there has been work to show that
> Multiple Sclerosis can be attributed to the Herpes virus number 6.
>
> (6) I read in the New York Times about four years ago of a young
> boy whose Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy was being treated with
> genetically-engineered dystrophin, a man-made protein predicted to
> restore normal movement to that patient.
You forgot GM1 ganglioside .( see archives for details ) This is an
acticide which has been shown to have very positive effects on PD .
I tried to order some from a company that was advertizing the product
on the net . I was told that the product was no longer being produced
!!!
>
> These 4 pieces of important evidence ( 1 - 4 above), and 2
> observations about related neuromotor disorders ( 5 and 6 above) can all
> be used as CLUES in support of the idea of a VIRAL origin for human
> Parkinson's Disease. Identification of this PD virus, much like the
> current battle against the Ebola Virus, and also in light of the last 15
> years of worldwide, coordinated research to contain the Human
> Immunodeficiency Virus, should take top priority in virology and public
> health.
>
> In epidemiology, we recently have seen the intriguing paper by Dr.
> Tanner of California. She claims that 90% of the PD cases are due to a
> toxic event. I am not so sure that her paper presents any unassailable
> evidence of toxic exposure. A viral origin for DDD's might also
> meanwahile explain her PD evidence on twins. Twins, whether identical,
> fraternal or sororital, if sharing the same bedroom, could come into
> contact witha PD-causing virus with greater frequency than siblings of
> different ages.
>
> Let us for the moment assume that ALL DDD cases are due to either
> viral exposure or to other causes capable of breaking up and rearranging
> the normal amno acid sequence of either DNA, or the messenger RNA
> templates that ultimately produce DNA.
A very reasonable assumption .
> This assumption would give us a conceptual framework to understand
> virtually all case of "Parkinson's Disease," no matter what the cause.
> This framework strongly points towards viruses.
It has been shown that people drinking well water have a higher
chance of PD than city people . I am surrounded by intensively
sprayed agricultural fields . I believe my spring water is heavily
poluted with pesticides and herbicides . It is probably the
combination of the virus with this polution that scrambles the DNA .
A few years ago there was a virus that was killing the seals around
the coasts of UK . Iseem to remember reading that it was worse in
areas of the sea with higher pollution . I think that the conceptual
framework should should have viruses as the main cause but with a
strong suuporting role of toxic chemicals . The latter in some cases
takes the leading role . ( CO and drug poisoning )
>
> Now, a few thoughts on the "cure" for Parkinson's Disease. Dr.
> Palmiter's mice are injected with a man-made virus created at Cell
> Genesys, a virus that takes over the animals' mRNA templates for the DNA
> that codes for the enzyme tyrosine dehydroxylase. This injection causes
> the correct DNA sequence to be re-laid, so that dopamine is produced, and
> amazingly, the genetically-sick mice LOSE ALL SIGNS of Parkinson's
> Disease, except some slowness of movement in some of the mice.
Is there any evidence that the relaid DNA sequence directly produces
more dopamine ?. My view is that the brain produces the dopamine it
needs . PD is an abnormal neuron firing pattern that requires less
dopamine and so the dopamine producing cells atrophy ( die off from
non use ) .
> By taking such hopeful steps, we can enter what Judith Richards calls
> a new "era." And step forward we must , so that we not only talk about,
> but are participants in, a planetary effot to END Parkinson's DIsease.
> Only then, will the coming of the millenium seem truly meaningful to me.
>
Sorry cant see any new era . There will only be a new era when PWPs
take power for themselves and dont rely on others to find a cure for
them .
THere was an interesting article in the " New Scientist " about how
the anti malarial quinine was discovered . The article concluded that
the only way was that the amazon natives must have just tried
everything . How often did they die of poisoning in this search ?
The latest antimalarial drug was developed from studying ancient
chinease medecine . Again derived from information obtained from sick
people taking medicine on a try it and see basis .
I have for the last year or so been taking all sorts of things to
see what works . My investigations have been seriously hampered by
the government/medical establishment which does not allow this
activity . I am researching methylprednislone and human growth
hormone in low doses .( I had to go to Mexico to get around these
control freaks ).
I was hoping that this list would be a forum for exchange of
information on PD . This would be far more effective research than
done by the medico/government complex . I have had to read countless
wingeing about the non spending by the goverment ( delete all the
obvious ones but some getthrough from bad subject heading ) . The
gay community( good for them ) managed to get effective funding for HIV research by
being a public nuisance . they were helped by the fact that HIV is a
very new problem and there were no entrenched ideas/ people . How do
you get an expert in position of power to agree to to research that
will prove that what he has been saying for the last 30 years is
wrong and that he got a very fat salary for misleading people ? What
if this expert is part of a gang in positions of power ?
A PWPs approach togetting reseach done will be one of the
following .
1) do it himself on a suck it and see policy
2) organise public nuisances with other PWPs to force the
government to do something . Sending letters is a complete waste of
time as it makes the recipient think he is important . Camping
outside his front door will be more effective than any number of well
reasoned letters .
3)wait for a private company to do the researchand find a cure .
The problem is that they will charge a high price which you may not
be able afford . People in the UK are being denied treament because
of the high cost .
My research priority it researching the possibility that my PD is
caused by a viralbrain inflammation that can be treated by anti
inflammatory drugs .
peace
Alastair ( [log in to unmask] )
