Extended Data Fig 13 Measurement Of Striatal Dopamine By Hplc And Controls With Aav
a, b, Dopamine levels in brain detected by HPLC with two different doses of spiked dopamine . b, Standard curve generated from the spiked dopamine. This set of experiments was performed only once. c, Controls for behavioural tests, showing that expressing an anti-GFP control shRNA alone did not rescue chemical-induced behavioural deficits based on apomorphine-induced rotation and cylinder test . d, Controls for behavioural tests, showing that the expression of hM4Di in non-reprogrammed astrocytes did not trigger detectable behaviour change in non-lesioned mice in the presence of CNO. Statistical significance was determined by ANOVA ; mean;±;s.e.m. Six mice were analysed in each group. P-values are indicated.
A Completely New Way To Replace Lost Cells
Parkinson’s UK Deputy Director of Research David Dexter said:
“Replacing the cells that are lost in Parkinson’s is a possible way to reverse its symptoms, and could one day be a cure for the condition.
“This research is hugely promising, as it offers a completely new way to replace cells that are lost in Parkinson’s.
“However, the location of the new cells created through this process could make it difficult to control the delivery of dopamine to the brain.
“Further development of this technique is now needed, so it encourages dopamine to be produced and released in a controlled manner, like the original brain cells.
“If successful, it would turn this approach into a viable therapy that could improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s and, ultimately, lead to the cure that millions are waiting for.”
Causes Of Parkinsons Disease
As identified by specialists, the main cause of PD is the brains inability to produce dopamine. But, what makes the brain not able to produce dopamine? Your health is in your hands. Be educated and take charge.
Here are some of the reasons that contribute to the deterioration of not only PD but also neurological health:
- Various nutrient deficiencies
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Restricting Diet May Reverse Early
A new Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center study suggests that early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients who lower their calorie intake may boost levels of an essential brain chemical lost from the neurodegenerative disorder.
The study by Charles Meshul, Ph.D., associate professor of behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine and the VAMC’s Neurocytology Lab, shows that dietary restriction reverses a Parkinson’s-induced drop in glutamate, a brain neurotransmitter important for motor control, function and learning, in a mouse model for the disease’s early stages.
The results, presented today at the Society for Neuroscience’s 35th annual meeting in Washington, D.C., are the first to show that a restricted diet can disable neurochemical changes in the brain occurring in early-stage Parkinson’s even after those changes are observed.
“In the early stages of the disease, we see certain markers in the brain that are changing that may be indicative that dietary restriction is helpful,” Meshul said.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder affecting a region of the brain called the substantia nigra where movement is controlled. Symptoms such as tremor or shaking, muscular stiffness or rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with balance appear when about 80 percent of cells in the body that produce the neurochemical dopamine die or become impaired.
Risk Factors And Causes
There isnt one single cause of Parkinsons that has been proven at this time. Researchers believe a loss of the neurotransmitter dopamine, neurological damage, inflammation and brain cell deterioration are among the primary factors that trigger Parkinsons development. But why exactly patients develop these problems is a complex issue that remains up for debate.
What is known is that certain risk factors can make someone more susceptible to developing Parkinsons disease, which can include:;
- Being a man, especially during older age. Research suggests that men in their 50s and 60s are most likely to develop Parkinsons.
- Genetic susceptibility: Studies have now identified several gene mutations that can put someone at a greater risk. Parkinsons has also been found to run in families, and having a sibling or parent increases someones risk.
- Damage to the area of the brain called the substantia nigra, which produces brain cells that are responsible for making dopamine.
- Toxicity and exposure to chemicals, including pesticides present on produce;from non-organic farming.;Living in a rural area and drinking well-water that might contain chemicals is another environmental risk factor.
- Poor diet, nutrient deficiencies, food allergies and an unhealthy lifestyle.
- Hormonal imbalances and other medical conditions that affect cognitive health and increase inflammation.
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For Parkinsons Patients Exercise Does What Medication Cant
We learned last week that exercising regularly helps to prevent Parkinsons. In a study of more than 7,300 male veterans, those with the lowest level of physical fitness had a 316% higher risk of developing Parkinsons than those with the highest level of physical fitness. And a meta-analysis of more than half a million participants found a dose-response relationship: The more moderate to vigorous physical activity you do, the more your risk of getting Parkinsons is reduced.
Reduced physical activity is likely an early symptom of Parkinsons disease. But neuroscientists at the University of Texas in Austin did an interesting study to explore whether or not a reduction in physical activity also speeds up the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. By restricting the movement of rats, they were able to show that the restriction of movement led to severe and chronic loss of dopaminergic neurons and impaired motor function. Neurons that arent used tend to wither away and diethis is called neural pruning. When it comes to movement, the principle of use it or lose it applies not only to our muscles, but to the health of our brain as well.
So we know that exercise is protective against Parkinsonsgreat. If you already exercise, keep doing it, and if you dont, start. But what about if you already have Parkinsons?
Drug May Reverse Parkinson’s Brain Damage
Experimental GDNF Treatment May Spur Regrowth of Damaged Brain Fibers
July 5, 2005 — An experimental drug may be able to reverse the course of Parkinson’s disease in the brain, according to a preliminary report.
An analysis of the brain of a man who took the experimental drug called GDNF showed regrowth of the nerve fibers lost in the progressive degenerative disease.
Researchers say it’s the first time any treatment has been shown to reverse the loss of nerve fibers in Parkinson’s disease. However, safety concerns about the drug will still need to be resolved before it can be considered as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
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Cell Replacement In Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of dopamine producing brain cells. Dopamine is used to help the brain communicate messages about movement, but as these cells are lost the brain cannot control movement effectively.
If successful, it would turn this approach into a viable therapy that could improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s and, ultimately, lead to the cure that millions are waiting for.
There are currently no treatments that can slow or stop Parkinson’s, but cell replacement could help to reverse the condition.
Ongoing research in people with Parkinson’s is attempting to transplant pre-made cells into the right part of the brain.
The study shows that;astrocytes, a type of cell that supports other brain cells and is not affected in Parkinson’s, could be turned into dopamine-producing cells inside the brain. This could pave the way to replacing the cells lost in Parkinson’s without the need for a transplant.
Can We Reverse Parkinsons Disease And Dementia With A Cancer Drug
At a recent Society for Neuroscience meeting, researchers reported that during a pilot study for a drug used to treat leukemia, 11 out of 12 patients who were given a small dose had improvement in mental function and movement. For several of the patients, improvements were dramatic.
After 25 years in Parkinsons disease research, this is the most excited Ive ever been says Fernando Pagan, director of the Movement Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center. Learn more about the study here >>
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Recommended Reading: What Is The Life Expectancy Of Someone With Parkinson’s Disease
What Causes Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons comes under the dementia umbrella. Its adegenerative disease of the nervous system that causes a loss of motor skillsand intentional movement. When someone has Parkinsons, the part of the brainthat controls muscular movements and mood function doesnt receive enough ofthe crucial dopamine chemical. Without enough dopamine, bodily movements,learning abilities and mood levels are severely affected. So-called normalfunctions such as speaking, writing, swallowing, walking and sleeping become difficultto perform. These challenges, combined with a lowering of mood levels is whymany Parkinsons patients suffer with depression.
What Is Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease is a neurological condition afflicting about one percent of men and women over the age of seventy years old.
Individuals with Parkinsons disease have tremor of the hands, rigidity, poor balance, and mild intellectual deterioration. The tremor is most apparent at rest and is less severe with movement. Shaking or tremors are an early symptom of Parkinsons disease. Progression leads to trembling in arms, legs, jaw, and rigidity or stiffness of the limbs.
Research has shown that Parkinsons disease occurs when a small region in the brain, called the substantia nigra, begins to deteriorate. The neurons of the substantia nigra use the brain chemical dopamine. Tremors begin to happen and movement slows when you have inhibited dopamine function.
Dopamine is broken down in the brain by an enzyme called monoamine oxidase . When the activity of MAO is inhibited, dopamine stays around longer, and this is beneficial to those with Parkinsons disease.
Recommended Reading: Parkinsons Life Expectancy
Parkinsons Disease Natural Treatment & Remedies In 5 Steps
Parkinsons disease is a degenerative illness of the nervous system that results in loss of intentional movement and impaired motor functioning. Parkinsons disease symptoms affects smooth, natural movements of the body, and can make it hard to perform everyday tasks like speaking properly, walking, swallowing and sleeping.
With Parkinsons, the area of the brain that controls muscular movements receives less dopamine than usual. Dopamine is an important chemical necessary for not only coordinating proper body movements, but also things like learning, increasing motivation and regulating moods. ;This is one reason why depression and other mood changes often affect those with Parkinsons.
What causes Parkinsons, and is it curable? There is no specific known cause, but some aggravating factors include exposure to certain chemicals and toxic water, plus inflammation of the brain. While there is no cure for Parkinsons , there are medications available to boost dopamine in the brain and help manage symptoms.
A 2016 study by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan also found a possible way to stop the progression of Parkinsons. Researchers created caffeine-based chemical compounds which also contained nicotine, metformin and aminoindan that prevented the misfolding of alpha-synuclein, a protein necessary for dopamine regulation.
Add Medication For A Winning Combo
Diet and exercise are important for managing PD, but dont forget about medications. Take them regularly and exactly as your doctor prescribes.
If you tend to forget your medication, set an alarm to remind you. You can also use a pillbox thats labeled with days and times of day. Take your meds on a set schedule, dont skip doses and dont double dose, says Dr. Gostkowski. When youre diligent about taking your medications and following a healthy lifestyle, youll feel your best.
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Extended Data Fig 11 Restoration Of Th+ Neurons In Striatum Of 6
a, b, Schematic of the coronal section of striatum and images of uninjured control and lesioned striatum treated on the right side of the brain with either AAV-empty or AAV-shPTB . Scale bar, 500;m. b, Magnified images showed extensive colocalization of TH with RFP-labelled fibres. Scale bar, 10;m. Results show a significant degree of restoration of TH+ fibres in striatum. Experiments were independently repeated 3 times with similar results. c, d, Quantitative analysis of TH+ fibres in striatum under different treatment conditions. TH staining of striatum under different treatment conditions, as indicated . Scale bar, 10;m. d, Quantification of total TH+ or TH+RFP fibre density in striatum under different treatment conditions based on 3 biological repeats. Statistical significance was determined by ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test; mean;±;s.e.m. P-values are indicated. Results show that most TH+ fibres seem to derive from AAV-shPTB-converted dopaminergic neurons; however, the data do not rule out the possibility that the axons of some endogenous neurons also responded to the environment created by newly converted neurons.
So How Was He Able To Turn This Around
In november 2011 he met Wim Hof, who taught him his techniques. And Hans has been applying these wholeheartedly since then.
He improved so much that, in February 2013, he was able to drive a car again and drive;up and down to Poland to do a training with Wim Hof. He did this solo; 1000 km each way!
Key in this Miracle is the Wim Hof Method.Thanks Wim Hof!! Hans Spaans
Watch Hans inspiring;testimonial or how a man is able to reverse Parkinsons Disease:
Awesome. Respect to you, Hans.
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How To Prevent Or Even Reverse Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease
Prevent or Even Reverse Symptoms of Parkinsons Disease Drug-Free Parkinsons Disease Treatment Discovered
Being diagnosed with Parkinsons disease almost always results in life sentence of medications with a long list side effect.
But a new study in the;Journal of Neurology;reveals a new drug-free treatment option that is safe and side effect free. And it works for all stages of Parkinsons disease.
Deep brain stimulation is a treatment that has been approved for Parkinsons disease by the American Food and Drug Administration, but it is almost exclusively used in mid- to late-stage Parkinsons patients.
But the new study shows that the treatment can be beneficial for early-stage Parkinsons patients, too.
Deep brain stimulation involves implanting a neuro stimulator below the collarbone with electrodes placed on the specific area of the brain that needs to be targeted. It sends electrical pulses to this region of the brain.
When it comes to Parkinsons disease, the part of the brain that needs stimulation is the subthalamic nucleus, a part that helps to control movement.
The researchers recruited 30 patients between ages 50 and 75with early-stage Parkinsons disease, 28 of whom completed the study.
When they were off their medication, the subjects were all at stage 2 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale, a common way to measure Parkinsons severity.
Deep brain stimulation also works for other movement disorders such as essential tremor and epilepsy.
Several Pathways Working Together
To find out how B. subtilis is able to prevent and clear alpha-synuclein aggregates, the team used RNA sequencing analysis to compare the gene expression of animals receiving a standard diet with that of those receiving the probiotic.
This analysis revealed changes in sphingolipid metabolism. Sphingolipids are a type of fat molecule, and they are important components of the structure of our cell membranes.
Previous studies suggest that an imbalance of lipids, including ceramides and sphingolipid intermediates, may contribute to the pathology of , the authors comment in the paper.
Yet, changes in sphingolipid metabolism were not the only pathways that the researchers identified.
They also saw that B. subtilis was able to protect older animals from alpha-synuclein aggregation through both the formation of complex structures called biofilms and the production of nitric oxide. In addition, the team saw changes in the dietary restriction and the insulin-like signaling pathways.
Importantly, when the team switched animals that had first received a standard diet over to a B. subtilis diet, their motor skills improved.
The results provide an opportunity to investigate how changing the bacteria that make up our gut microbiome affects Parkinsons. The next steps are to confirm these results in mice, followed by fast-tracked clinical trials since the probiotic we tested is already commercially available.
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Forced Exercise And Stress Reduction Reverse Parkinsons Symptoms
If you read last weeks post Doctors Call for an End to the Parkinsons Pandemic, you learned that Parkinsons disease is most often the result of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors, which include exposure to neurotoxic chemicals, head trauma, lack of exercise, diet, gut dysbiosis, and chronic stress.
While there is no cure for Parkinsons disease, there are documented cases of improvement and recovery. Recovery in these cases is defined mainly by an elimination of motor symptoms. As I mentioned in last weeks post, motor symptoms begin when dopamine levels and neuron loss reach a critically low thresholdIll explain how that works in this post. When people are able to boost their dopamine levels and/or restore enough dopaminergic neurons that they can get past this threshold, their motor symptoms can go away.
In this post Ill discuss why motor symptoms occur, research on neurogenesis in the substantia nigra of Parkinsons patients, how exercise and stress reduction reduce motor symptoms, and stories of recovery from Parkinsons disease. As you will learn, reducing and potentially eliminating motor symptomsand even restoring sense of smellis a realistic goal that Parkinsons patients are already pursuing.