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Two molecules that change the expression in the brain could be used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

A recent study in the US experimented on animals with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias, which is a side-effect of therapy for the condition.

It revealed that CalDAG-GEFI and CalDAG-GEFII genes behaved in an opposite way when rats were treated with the L-DOPA drug.

The former gene indicated decreased expression in the brain, while the latter was found to cause an increase.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology institute professor Ann Graybiel said: "L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias are a major problem for patients and there is a great need to help with these drug side effects."

According to statistics from the Parkinson’s Disease Society, around 120,000 people have the condition in the UK, with 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

Elsewhere, it was recently reported that people suffering from diabetes are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with Parkinson’s disease

This entry was posted on Monday, February 2nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm and is filed under General.