http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-...parkinson.html

oxidative stress

Thank you Soccertese for posting this. I just wish that they put it on fast track and not be dumped for years and rediscovered again in 2020 !
Imad

" a new discovery by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio may begin to explain why the vast majority of Parkinson's patients develop the progressive neurodegenerative disease. "

"This week in the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers demystified a process that leads to the death of brain cells – or neurons – in Parkinson's patients. When researchers blocked the process, the neurons survived"

"When we blocked tyrosine kinase c-Abl activation, parkin function was preserved and neurons were spared," Dr. Imam said. "We believe these studies provide sound rationale for moving forward with a preclinical trial of tyrosine kinase c-Abl inhibitors, with the goal of developing a potent therapeutic drug for slowing the progression of Parkinson's."

"If preclinical trials in animal models of Parkinson's disease yield positive results, the next step would be clinical trials in human patients, Dr. Imam said."

Tyrosine kinase c-Abl inhibitors are approved by the FDA for treating myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal tumors. This could speed approval of the drug for Parkinson's and its translation from bench research to clinical practice.

"

The well-known drug Gleevec mentioned in Pkell's thread "Am i the last to know?" is an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase c-Abl.

It should be obvious that fast-track trials of Gleevec for PD treatment is deserved.