My son sent me this link today. It's very interesting!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-110460/Parkinsons-cure-gave-life.html
Lets hope for it to be 'the cure', and sooner rather than later.
This is very interesting thanks butterfly. I didnt know GDNF could be delivered via a tube in the abdomen! Because it is much clearer than i could explain I have taken the liberty of copying what Jon Stamford wrote in May 2011 on another site ( Health Unlocked). Hope you find it interesting.
"In the early part of this decade Stephen Gill at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol conducted a small clinical trial that should have changed the face of pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's. The drug in question was GDNF (Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a naturally occurring brain constituent, administered by pump into the brains of half a dozen patients.
The results were remarkable and, even accounting for journalistic hyperbole, make compelling viewing
http://youtu.be/gnDHMveS9_M
Patients that could barely walk before GDNF, strode purposefully afterwards. Words like "miracle" and "cure" were bandied about. And this is not normally part of the dispassionate vocabulary of science.
So what went wrong? Why is GDNF not part of the treatment arsenal available to neurologists?
Shortly after this pilot study was completed, the manufacturers of GDNF (Amgen) pulled the plug and GDNF was no longer available for human use. The reasons for this decision have been debated long and hard over many years and for much of that time the company's position has not changed. Time went by and the Frenchay study gathered dust, an interesting research curio.
But suddenly it is back in the limelight. Amgen have relented and GDNF is being manufactured again. And Prof Gill has a new improved delivery system -- more targeted on the areas of need. "
"In the early part of this decade Stephen Gill at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol conducted a small clinical trial that should have changed the face of pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's. The drug in question was GDNF (Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a naturally occurring brain constituent, administered by pump into the brains of half a dozen patients.
The results were remarkable and, even accounting for journalistic hyperbole, make compelling viewing
http://youtu.be/gnDHMveS9_M
Patients that could barely walk before GDNF, strode purposefully afterwards. Words like "miracle" and "cure" were bandied about. And this is not normally part of the dispassionate vocabulary of science.
So what went wrong? Why is GDNF not part of the treatment arsenal available to neurologists?
Shortly after this pilot study was completed, the manufacturers of GDNF (Amgen) pulled the plug and GDNF was no longer available for human use. The reasons for this decision have been debated long and hard over many years and for much of that time the company's position has not changed. Time went by and the Frenchay study gathered dust, an interesting research curio.
But suddenly it is back in the limelight. Amgen have relented and GDNF is being manufactured again. And Prof Gill has a new improved delivery system -- more targeted on the areas of need. "
Thank you Hikoi, that was interesting too. I posted this on Neurotalk and a well informed person posted this reply:
It's the old GDNF trial. But revamped by its delivery system. (Partial funding comes from the Cure Parkinson's Trust )
http://www.cureparkinsons.org.uk/professor-steven-gill
And it's the same doctor -Dr. Steven Gill - whose original trials using GDNF were successful, except for the catheters, which for this trial have been redesigned.
It's the old GDNF trial. But revamped by its delivery system. (Partial funding comes from the Cure Parkinson's Trust )
http://www.cureparkinsons.org.uk/professor-steven-gill
And it's the same doctor -Dr. Steven Gill - whose original trials using GDNF were successful, except for the catheters, which for this trial have been redesigned.
Hikoi, Do you mind if I copy your post onto Neurotalk? It's very interesting.
so... was gdnf unsafe and is now safe?
or were Amgen over-cautious and now sensible?
personally i wouldn't push my way to the front of the queue just yet.
or were Amgen over-cautious and now sensible?
personally i wouldn't push my way to the front of the queue just yet.
Hi buttterfly, i dont mind though it isnt really my post but also you may find that this is old information for them. Take a look at this link for instance,
http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/pdsforum/posts.aspx?forum=archive---treatments&topic=lifted-from-neurotalk
I also found this information turnip. It is long but seems a thorough background history.
http://www.pdpipeline.org/2011/GDNF/gdnf_overview.htm
Also suggest you check out the GDNF thread in research Butterfly. Lastly there is this also posted on the research section here which adds to the controversy!
http://www.aan.com/elibrary/neurologytoday/?event=home.showArticle&id=ovid.com:/bib/ovftdb/00132985-201301170-00005
Bedtime reading! Best wishes.
http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/pdsforum/posts.aspx?forum=archive---treatments&topic=lifted-from-neurotalk
I also found this information turnip. It is long but seems a thorough background history.
http://www.pdpipeline.org/2011/GDNF/gdnf_overview.htm
Also suggest you check out the GDNF thread in research Butterfly. Lastly there is this also posted on the research section here which adds to the controversy!
http://www.aan.com/elibrary/neurologytoday/?event=home.showArticle&id=ovid.com:/bib/ovftdb/00132985-201301170-00005
Bedtime reading! Best wishes.
Thanks again. I think I'll read that in the morning. I am brain dead now, and it looks meaty reading!
Thanks very much for posting this. It makes for very interesting reading...and whilst I don't usually concern myself too much with the latest research this does seem like it could be a real life line...having just found that apomorphine doesn't work for me, my options for a viable, useful treatment are few and far between...so lets see!