New Parkinson's Treatment
By: Charlotte Ames
Updated: April 27, 2012
Doctors in Britain say a radical new treatment for Parkinson's could improve the lives of millions who suffer from the disease.
Sheila Roy says she can finally enjoy life at her countryside home in Cambridge. She's lived with Parkinson's disease for 17 years - but a team of Oxford University scientists developed a treatment that changed her life.
She is one of only 15 people in the world to take part in a gene therapy experiment. Scientists create and inject a virus into the brain. The shot jump-starts the production of dopamine - the chemical patients need to fight Parkinson's. Without dopamine, Parkinson's sufferers often shake - and can't control their movements.
Doctor Philip Buttery of Cambridge Center for Brain Repair explains, " In principle, it should give patients a better quality of life through their day - because of less ups and downs during the day. "
Researchers spent years in the lab testing the treatment on animals - including mice - injecting medicine into their brains. Once they had success - scientists began trying the treatment on a small number of people. Doctors say more studies - involving hundreds of patients - will be needed to prove the treatment is safe and works long term.
Sheila knows it's not a 'cure' but says she feels ten years younger. Other gene therapy experiments are happening United States, but the British experiment is the first treatment in the world that generates dopamine in a patient's brain.
Sheila Roy says she can finally enjoy life at her countryside home in Cambridge. She's lived with Parkinson's disease for 17 years - but a team of Oxford University scientists developed a treatment that changed her life.
She is one of only 15 people in the world to take part in a gene therapy experiment. Scientists create and inject a virus into the brain. The shot jump-starts the production of dopamine - the chemical patients need to fight Parkinson's. Without dopamine, Parkinson's sufferers often shake - and can't control their movements.
Doctor Philip Buttery of Cambridge Center for Brain Repair explains, " In principle, it should give patients a better quality of life through their day - because of less ups and downs during the day. "
Researchers spent years in the lab testing the treatment on animals - including mice - injecting medicine into their brains. Once they had success - scientists began trying the treatment on a small number of people. Doctors say more studies - involving hundreds of patients - will be needed to prove the treatment is safe and works long term.
Sheila knows it's not a 'cure' but says she feels ten years younger. Other gene therapy experiments are happening United States, but the British experiment is the first treatment in the world that generates dopamine in a patient's brain.
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.