Parkinson's disease

Mouse study shows dopamine blocks tumor-feeding blood vessels

March 13, 2008 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. — A study published in the March 13 online issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation (http://www.jci.org/) shows that dopamine, a drug currently used to treat Parkinson's disease and other illnesses, also might work in cancer patients. The study, which was done in mouse and laboratory models, shows that dopamine could possibly prevent new blood vessels from growing and as a result, slow cancer progression.    » read more »

$14.5 Million in Awards Granted Today

January 7, 2008 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson today announced the first grant awards of New York State's new $600 million multi-year stem cell research program, offering new hope to people who suffer from debilitating and life threatening diseases and ailments such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer. The awards -- totaling $14.5 million -- were approved today at a meeting in New York City of the Funding Committee of the Empire State Stem Cell Board.    » read more »

09/04/07, CINCINNATI—University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists have received grants totaling $180,000 for research into Parkinson’s disease.

The funding was provided by the Colorado-based Davis Phinney Foundation,whose October 2006 Sunflower Revolution Gala and bike ride in Cincinnati raised $300,000 for Parkinson’s research. All the UC recipients are affiliated with the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital,    » read more »

Ovary Removal Before Menopause Increases Risk of Parkinson's Disease and Parkinsonism

August 29, 2007 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that women who had one or both ovaries removed before menopause faced an increased long-term risk of Parkinson's disease and of several related conditions known as parkinsonism, compared to women who retained their ovaries. To protect against these conditions, estrogen replacement therapy may be warranted for women who had their ovaries removed before menopause. Ovaries are responsible for estrogen production.    » read more »

Findings detect 90-fold increased risk of developing disease; predict age of onset

June 14, 2007 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A new Mayo Clinic study provides strong evidence that the joint effects of common DNA variations in several genes that encode proteins within a well-defined biological pathway largely explain why some persons get Parkinson's disease while others don't, and even predict with great accuracy at what age people might develop their first symptoms.

The findings are published in the June 15 issue of PLoS Genetics.    » read more »

15 June 2007 -- Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. The disease is marked by a decrease in the brain's ability to make dopamine, an important neuro-chemical messenger. Without enough dopamine, a patient's ability to move voluntarily steadily deteriorates. Eventually, complications from Parkinson's disease lead to death.    » read more »