CU Researchers Testing Drug To Stop Parkinson's Progression

Medication Turns On Critical Gene That Protects Brain Cells From Damage

This is the most exciting news I’ve heard on the Parkinson’s front in a very long time.

From the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the following are links to the articles about the research conducted by Dr. Curt Freed and Dr. Wenbo Zhou at CU Med School in mice re phenylbutyrate:

http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/DrugstopsprogressionParkinsons.aspx

See also:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/27134023/detail.html?taf=den

Comments

[Lisa]

This is indeed very hopeful. I have faith it's just a matter of time and I will hold on to it being sooner than later.

[Damien woody]

This is good news that found in drug opiaces the progression of Parkinson's disease because they thus manage to give hope to millions of people suffer from this disease.

[sean]

This may be the biggest breakthrough in PD since the discovery of L-dopa. Part of PD is accepting disappointment, but this one seems different to me. It is undoubtely a medication that is safe, can penetrate the Blood-Brain barrier, and effects those mechanisms that are implicated in PD. I'd be surprised if it didn't succeed.
Whether it can ultimately stop PD is uncertain, but even if it slows it slightly this would be a tremendous breakthrough.