Finding Treatment for Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s is a disease that dates back a couple centuries. However, finding a treatment for this illness proves to be difficult because the cause of the disease is still an enigma. The illness got more recognition after Olympian and world champion Muhammad Ali was stricken with Parkinson’s later in his life. This accurately drove home the idea that even the toughest man in the world can be hit with a disease so life altering that it makes simple motions like brushing one’s teeth a struggle.
Parkinson’s is a disease that dates back a couple centuries. However, finding a treatment for this illness proves to be difficult because the cause of the disease is still an enigma. The illness got more recognition after Olympian and world champion Muhammad Ali was stricken with Parkinson’s later in his life. This accurately drove home the idea that even the toughest man in the world can be hit with a disease so life altering that it makes simple motions like brushing one’s teeth a struggle.
Scientist Ben Yang goes into the depths of the disease and its neurological effect on the body to accurately portray exactly what is happening. He concludes that this neurodegenerative disease deteriorates the SNc DA neurons, but explains that there is confusion still as to why these SNc DA neurons are dying. There are many factors that my attribute to this deterioration of SNc DA neurons, including Mitochondrial dysfunction, along with calcium. One question raised in the article that Ben Yang refers to is, “Is then PD simply a reflection of accelerated aging in neurons that rely too heavily upon Ca2+ channels to do their business?” He answers this question with the fact that age is indeed the single strongest risk factor for PD. Altogether the data shows that “SNc DA neurons age more rapidly than the vast majority of the neurons in the brain.”
In a Northwestern Medical journal I came across, I read that the first ever neuro-protective drug for Parkinson’s is in the making, using data that was similarly found in the Cell Calcium Review Ben Yang used and referred to. This Northwestern Medical Journal explains in further detail “the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s are caused by loss of dopamine neurons… while most cells use use ions such as sodium, [Dr. James] Surmeier observed that dopamine cells also used calcium…” This proves to be an issue because calcium is more of a problem. Calcium triggers other reactions in cells that raise the risk of deterioration of SNc DA neurons and is potentially problematic.
It was interesting to see how both studies had very similar data and how close each one is to finding a treatment to Parkinson’s disease. There are many questions that still need to be answered regarding Parkinson’s, however, the illness persists as an enigma to scientists as to whether it is a genetic trait and just what is deteriorating these SNc DA neurons, causing the illness and its symptoms.
Article referred to by Ben Yang: https://luc.app.box.com/v/neuroscienceseminar/1/5783518889/93009542353/1
Northwestern Medical Journal:
http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/research/docs/newsletters/April2015.pdf
Article referred to by Ben Yang: https://luc.app.box.com/v/neuroscienceseminar/1/5783518889/93009542353/1
Northwestern Medical Journal:
http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/research/docs/newsletters/April2015.pdf
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