(Source: North Shore LIJ) - Researchers in New York report that introducing genes to one side of Parkinson's patients' brains is able to normalize brain function.
The scientists identified two brain networks in the Parkinson's patients - one regulating movement and the other affecting cognition. Brain scans showed that only the motor networks were altered by the gene therapy, which created an inhibitory chemical called GABA that reduces the activity in a key node of the Parkinson's motor network.
"This is good news," said Dr. David Eidelberg. The investigators were not expecting to see changes in cognition, and the scans confirmed that this did not occur.
The gene therapy technique was developed by Neurologix Inc. Scientists are now working on a design for a Phase 2 study that would include a larger number of patients to test the effectiveness of the treatment.
Go to full story: eurekalert.org
