EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3:00 P.M. ET, THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2001For more information contact:Kathy Stone (651) 695-2763 or [email protected]May 5-11, 215-418-2420
Drug May Prevent Parkinson's Cell Death
PHILADELPHIA, PA - A drug used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease may also play a role in preventing disease progression, according to a preliminary study using cell cultures. The study was presented during the American Academy of Neurology's 53rd Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, May 5-11, 2001.
"Much more research needs to be done to confirm these results, but this is potentially exciting," said study author and neurologist Anthony Schapira, MD, of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, England. "Right now we can only treat the symptoms of the disease -- no current treatments have been proven to affect disease progression."
Parkinson's is caused when a small group of neurons, or brain cells, die. There has been some evidence that the drug pramipexole may play a role in protecting the neurons from death. To test this theory, Schapira and his colleagues placed human tumor cells in cultures with a chemical that can induce Parkinson's, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, which is known as MPP+. They confirmed that the MPP+ caused cell death and also caused a loss of functioning in the cells' mitochondria, which produce energy for the cells. Mitochondria play a pivotal role in cell death.
Then the researchers treated the cells with pramipexole once a day for three days prior to exposure to MPP+.
"The pramipexole significantly decreased the effects of the MPP+ on cell death and on the mitochondria -- generally by about 50 percent," Schapira said. "If these results can be confirmed, it would mean that this drug may have a modifying effect on the progress of the disease." Schapira said additional studies are underway to see if the results can be confirmed.
"Another question that would need to be answered is whether the drug would have this effect on all Parkinson's patients or just some patients," he said. "There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before we know whether this will be beneficial for Parkinson's patients."
The study was supported by Pharmacia Corporation, the maker of pramipexole.
A neurologist is a medical doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 17,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research.
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit its web site at www.aan.com
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Schapira will present the research at the American Academy of Neurology's 53rd Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, during a platform
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