Gene therapy shows promise for Parkinson's

A new gene therapy technique tested on a dozen patients in the United States may keep symptoms of Parkinson's disease from getting worse. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Lancet, was led by Dr. Andrew Feigin, director of Neuroscience Experimental Therapeutics at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in collaboration with New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center. The gene therapy would be used to reduce symptoms and not alter the underlying disease process, the Feinstein Institute said Friday in a release. One woman and 11 men with advanced Parkinson's disease received a surgical infusion of fluid containing a viral vector and genes for a protein called glutamic acid decarboxylase that is critical in controlling a neurotransmitter called GABA that is reduced in patients with Parkinson's disease, the study said.... Whole article on "ScienceDaily":[ http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070622-14265300-bc-us-parkinson-s.xml]

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