Lund University. Sweden: Researchers
have long sought treatments that can slow the progression of
Parkinson's disease. Current treatments have for decades been only
symptomatic in nature, supplying the neurotransmitter dopamine, which
the dying nerve cells can no longer produce. Results from a recent
clinical study offer hope that future therapies could take advantage of
the brain's own protective mechanisms to limit neuronal cell death and
restore dopamine production to natural levels.
Researchers
at Lund University and Karolinska Institutet have, in a first-in-man
clinical study with twelve participating patients, applied a growth
factor to the brain with the hope of preserving dopaminergic cells and
fibers.
The growth factor, PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), has previously demonstrated, in studies in animals with Parkinson-like symptoms, reparative effects on both neurons and nerve fibers, while also leading to improved motor skills.
The results of the current study in patients show that applying the growth factor does not cause any serious unresolvable side effects. Perhaps even more encouraging are the images of the patients' brains, produced four months after the delivery of the growth factor.
Using a PET scanner, researchers have seen that in patients who received the growth factor the signaling of dopamine not only stayed at the same level, but even increased.
“In Parkinson's disease patients
lose nerve cells continuously, which means that we see signals
indicating dopamine processing constantly decreasing. What we have seen
is that the patients who received the highest dose did not have the same
decrease in these signals as the placebo-treated patients. Instead, we
have actually seen an increase in signaling here. This indicates that we
may have managed to reverse this process which is obviously very
exciting”, says Gesine Paul, research group leader at Lund University
who is the first author of the study.
Experiments when researchers first tested the growth factor in animals were launched over ten years ago and the journey towards clinical trials has been a long one. It is now hoped that the positive results can speed up the process towards broader clinical studies where treatment effects in patients will be evaluated further. Gesine Paul and her colleagues also hope to identify in detail the mechanisms underlying the complex process of reparation that the growth factor seems to initiate.
“There are currently no drugs that can repair the structures in the brain that are lost in Parkinson's disease. Although we still have a long way to go our study suggests that it may be possible to stimulate the brain's built-in protective mechanisms in order to slow or halt disease progression. If we are to fully take advantage of the growth factor’s restorative properties we now need to better understand the underlying molecular processes. Next, we proceed with new clinical studies in Sweden, England and Germany”, says Gesine Paul.
Publication: Safety and tolerability of intracerebroventricular PDGF-BB in Parkinson’s disease patients
The published study and forthcoming studies are performed in collaboration with the Swedish biotech company Newron Sweden (former Neuronova) and financial support has been received from Vinnova and the European Commission.
Contact:
Gesine Paul, Associate Professor, Lund University
Tel: 046-17 77 66, 046-222 05 24,
gesine.paul-visse@med.lu.se
The growth factor, PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), has previously demonstrated, in studies in animals with Parkinson-like symptoms, reparative effects on both neurons and nerve fibers, while also leading to improved motor skills.
The results of the current study in patients show that applying the growth factor does not cause any serious unresolvable side effects. Perhaps even more encouraging are the images of the patients' brains, produced four months after the delivery of the growth factor.
Using a PET scanner, researchers have seen that in patients who received the growth factor the signaling of dopamine not only stayed at the same level, but even increased.
PET
image illustrating the dopamine transporter binding signal before and
approx 4 month after treatment. The white colour shows a higher signal
intensity.
Experiments when researchers first tested the growth factor in animals were launched over ten years ago and the journey towards clinical trials has been a long one. It is now hoped that the positive results can speed up the process towards broader clinical studies where treatment effects in patients will be evaluated further. Gesine Paul and her colleagues also hope to identify in detail the mechanisms underlying the complex process of reparation that the growth factor seems to initiate.
“There are currently no drugs that can repair the structures in the brain that are lost in Parkinson's disease. Although we still have a long way to go our study suggests that it may be possible to stimulate the brain's built-in protective mechanisms in order to slow or halt disease progression. If we are to fully take advantage of the growth factor’s restorative properties we now need to better understand the underlying molecular processes. Next, we proceed with new clinical studies in Sweden, England and Germany”, says Gesine Paul.
Publication: Safety and tolerability of intracerebroventricular PDGF-BB in Parkinson’s disease patients
The published study and forthcoming studies are performed in collaboration with the Swedish biotech company Newron Sweden (former Neuronova) and financial support has been received from Vinnova and the European Commission.
Contact:
Gesine Paul, Associate Professor, Lund University
Tel: 046-17 77 66, 046-222 05 24,
gesine.paul-visse@med.lu.se