Study finds Parkinson's natural foes
 

In addition to ZucchiniFlower's related thread...

Study finds Parkinson's natural foes
Researchers say chemicals in brain may help fight disease

Posted on Thu, Feb. 08, 2007
By Rebecca Vesely
MEDIANEWS STAFF
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/...=cctimes_state

Naturally occurring chemicals in the brain similar to active compounds in marijuana could provide clues in treating Parkinson's disease, Stanford University researchers reported Wednesday.

Symptoms of Parkinson's in mice disappeared by combining a drug already used for Parkinson's disease with a compound that boosts the levels of endocannabinoids, natural chemicals similar to marijuana and hashish.

"This study points to a potentially new kind of therapy for Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Robert Malenka, professor in psychiatry and behavioral studies at Stanford and co-author of the study.

Malenka cautioned that the findings are preliminary and a long way from being tested in humans.

The study was published in the journal Nature.

Researchers mined an area of the brain called the striatum, associated with depression and addiction. A shortage of dopamine in the striatum is linked to Parkinson's disease, a degenerative illness that affects motor function.

Scientists studied cell types in this area of the brain in mice and discovered subtle differences.

They found that two circuits had opposite functions -- one seems to activate motion while another appears to restrain involuntary movement.

When they combined the Parkinson's drug quinpirole with an experimental drug that slows down the breakdown of endocannabinoids in the brain, they saw a striking increase in motor activity among the debilitated mice.

Mice that previously were immobilized by the Parkinson's symptoms were able to move freely within 15 minutes, the researchers reported.

The second drug that inhibits the breakdown of endocannabinoids is being developed by Kadmus Pharmaceuticals in Irvine.

Endocannabinoids are just one of many chemicals in the brain used to transmit signals. They are also identified with the brain's reward and pleasure centers.

The drug rimonabant, marketed under the name Acomplia and developed to combat obesity and nicotine addiction, works by blocking endocannabinoids.

The Stanford researchers warned that the findings don't support the notion that smoking marijuana can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Health, the National Parkinson Foundation and a Ruth L. Kirchenstein fellowship.