Hi all,

I am pretty sure this is where the idea that coffee may be neuroprotective comes from this largely underexplored side of PD. I have read anecdotal evidence that caffeine alleviates symptoms in some- not happening for me, but there are studies going on now. Same with targeting nicotinic receptors and whole idea behind smoking... -Laura

This excerpt is from a new find The IUPHAR Database http://www.iuphar-db.org/DATABASE/Fa...ard?familyId=2 (International Union of Pharmacology) of an association that really seems to be providing good information on receptors, disease, and emerging drug treatments:


Muscarinic receptors as drug targets

In line with a greater understanding of the neuromodulatory role of muscarinic receptors has come a greater focus on the possibility that this receptor family may be effective therapeutic targets in a number of neurological and psychiatric diseases [231]. Historically this focus has centred on Alzheimer's disease, which is associated with a loss of cholinergic innervation in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and is currently treated by enhancing cholinergic transmission via pharmacological inhibition of cholinesterase activity[234]. Whereas for many years this treatment was thought to have its beneficial affects by stimulation of the M1-muscarinic receptor subtype [235], work on the M1-receptor knockout mice has suggested that this receptor subtype may not play such an important role in cognition as previously thought [231]. Thus, novel anti-Alzheimer drugs that target other muscarinic receptor subtypes, such as the M2-, M4- and M5-muscarinic receptors, are now under more intense consideration. Interestingly, muscarinic receptor modulation of dopaminergic transmission has provided the impetus for the development of muscarinic receptor ligands in the treatment of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease [231]. In both cases the focus has been on the M1 and M4-muscarinic receptors, where it has been indicated that agonists to these receptors might be beneficial in schizophrenia and antagonists are likely to be of benefit in Parkinson's disease.