Best of 2009 - Posted by Dan Kuester-Iowa State on Friday, November 6, 2009 11:39 - 15 Comments 
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BEST OF 2009: Parkinson’s dopamine killers
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Anumantha Kanthasamy has been working to understand the complex mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease for more than a decade and thinks he has discovered a critical pathway that might lead to a cure.
IOWA STATE—Researchers have found an essential key that could lead to new treatments and possibly a cure for Parkinson’s disease. They have identified the protein that kills dopamine-producing cells in the brain—and a way to disable it.
Parkinson’s disease sufferers lack a sufficient amount of dopamine. Anumantha Kanthasamy, a distinguished professor of biomedical sciences and W. Eugene and Linda R. Lloyd Endowed Chair in Neurotoxicology at Iowa State University, discovered that a novel protein—known as protein kinase-C—destroys dopamine-producing cells.
“We have millions of cells in our brains,” says Kanthasamy, “In Parkinson’s, about 10,000 of these brain cells die; no one knows why.”
Kanthasamy and his research staff discovered a compound that neutralizes the cell-killing kinase-C and allows the dopamine-producing cells to survive and function.
“With a lot of hard work, and little bit of luck, we found something important,” he says. “And when you find something like this you say, ‘This is great because it can be a target for developing new drugs.’”
Now, Kanthasamy’s group is looking for additional compounds that also can serve to neutralize protein kinase-C. By identifying more compounds that perform the function of neutralizing kinase-C, researchers are more likely to locate one that works well and has few side effects.
This discovery is expected to provide new treatment options to stop the progression of the disease or even cure it.
“Once we find the compound, we need to make sure it’s safe. If everything goes well, it could take about 10 years, and then we might be able to see something that will truly make a difference in the lives of people with this disorder,” says Kanthasamy.
Parkinson’s disease strikes around 50,000 people each year, and there are approximately 1 million people with the disease. Parkinson’s sufferers include actor Michael J. Fox and former boxing champion Muhammad Ali.
As people grow older, the cells that produce dopamine naturally die, causing dopamine levels to fall gradually over time. When the levels continue to drop below 60 to 70 percent, the person will start to have Parkinson’s disease symptoms, according to Kanthasamy.
“Everybody has a little Parkinson’s in theory,” he says. “But you can’t see it until the level of dopamine gets too low.”
Eliminating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease doesn’t require people to be restored to 100 percent of previous dopamine levels, but only to a fraction of that.
“If you can bring dopamine up to the 40-50 percent level, you’ll see a functioning, normal person,” he adds.
Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s and available therapies only treat the symptoms.
Major contributing factors for getting Parkinson’s disease include prolonged exposure to metals or pesticides and other environmental chemicals, according to Kanthasamy.
Because the disease typically affects people over the age of 50, the National Institutes of Health anticipates the incidence of Parkinson’s will increase as the nation’s population ages.
The research was supported by a Grow Iowa Values Fund grant and the National Institutes of Health.
Iowa State University news: www.news.iastate.edu/
15 Comments
vanessa sharp
Gert
Do what you can do and enjoy those.
Talk to other patients online or elsewhere.
Take the meds on time.
Move. Don’t take no for an answer.
Know your limits.
celia kozlowski
Was this research published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal? If so, it would be very helpful if you could refer to the paper. This adds to the credibility of the news and gives people who want to know more a place to read more.
Vipin
This is an remarkable story if goes really successful. Pharma Companies will have something in their pipeline to get the Drug.It will take long time though but eventually yes..it will be cured.!
Vanessa,
Check out http://www.pedalingforparkinsons.org/. They are a good resource for caregivers and PD patients alike. A member of our faculty has volunteered with them for years. Some of our faculty at the University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance are involved with PD research, especially on how exercise can help improve the quality of life for PD patients. You may want to discuss with his doctor about different physical activities your husband can do to improve his quality of life. Keep reading the latest research articles and discuss them with your doctor. Being your husband’s advocate is the best thing you can do! Best wishes.
Fantasitic news for all Parkinson sufferers and their caregivers! We lost our mother to Parkinson’s and it’s associated diseases that go along with it 2 years ago. We mourn for her, and pray that others will benefit from this discovery. As with all losses, her memory will continue to live on.
Jim
I wonder whether protein folding software could help postulate new theories about the potential treatment for the diseases known cumulatively as the Dimentias. My Dad passed away of Lewy Body Dimentia, ney the flu or pnuemonia, but due to a deterioating condition of DLB (Dimentia w Lewy Bodies) we chose to let nature take it’s course. This is a sad way for indiviuals to end their lives. I believe that through research and public educational programs, the dimentias can be held off or prevented for longer than people tend to display symptoms.
-Vipin, it may be hasty to assume a cure. There’s more money in helping someone live with a disease. That’s more of a comodity.
Kathy Malnory
Vanessa,
Get to know other Parkinson’s patient’s families for educational, emotional and day-to-day living with Parkinson’s disease success. My husband was 59 when diagnosed and we were newelyweds of seven months when he was diagnosed. It has been a slippery slope for him as his Parkinson’s disease progressed as fast as any of the neurologist in the Northwest had ever seen. He has been to 4 Parkinson’s (neurologist) specialists.
Knowledge is power in living with Parkinson’s Disease even though it is a bleak and sad road to go down. We take every day and try to make it special.
My biggest enemy was lack of sleep in trying to care for hubbby 24/7. Once I started getting more sleep life was not quite so sad.
Kathy
Descubierto un tratamiento que podría llevar a la cura del Parkinson [Eng]…
l Dr. Anumantha Kanthasamy, junto a los Dres. Linda R. Lloyd y W. Eugene, han identificado a la recientemente descubierta proteína Kinasa-C como la responsable de la destrucción de las células productoras de dopamina, una hormona esencial para el corre…
Sandy Hartzler
Wow!!! This sounds like great good news. My husband was diagnosed about 4 years ago. A former Math teacher…super sharp mind… is struggling now. Only 66 years old. Please inform us of trials, possibly we would consider being a part of the trial. Blessings on your work. Sincerely, Sandy
Joe
This is great hope for those suffering and those who care for them!
Vanessa,
My mother has been suffering from this for 20 years, and now she’s in her mid 60s. She reached a level where the medication management wasn’t working out anymore. So the Doctors had recommended Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): Granted we were all concerned with a 65 year old going in for brain surgery, and if she would be able to manage the recovery time. I’ll tell you it was the best decision we ever made.
She doesn’t shake at all, her medication consumption has been drastically reduced, and she’s able to move around. They did a two electrode insertion with a rechargeable battery implanted in her chest. (Single electrode install was FDA approved in ‘97 and the double electrode in 2002)
Consult a doctor and get all the information you need. My parents were the skeptical type so they went and talked to other patients that had this unit put in, and then felt more confident about going through with the procedure.
connie
10 years for a cure – get on to it – people are dying ….
Charlotte Dalton
My daughter Sandra was diagonised with the young onset of Parkinsons at same time as Michael J Fox.She was also 30 years old and getting married,she has had 2 children whilst having Parkinsons.Perfect beautiful children Thank God.She has had the Deep brain stimulation surgery done Activa in may 08 and has had some relief fron the distonia (stiffing) She had the left side done to relieve her right side now the left side is getting bad.So it would be a Miracle if this treatment worked.God Bless you Anumantha and your work and thank you.
Charlotte
annette
I have pd, since age 43 am now 49, sooooooooooo what do l have do do to get this potential cure.
,tell me
Saba
My mam is PD patient since 1984, after few months of my birth. Her condition is becoming worse day by day. Plz suggest me how can I help her.
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My husband is suffering from Parkinsons. He is 59 and had the symptoms for about 9 years. We are about to retire and I feel we are still a young couple but this illness is getting worse and it is very upsetting. Any advice you could give us to improve my husbands life would be so very much appreciated.
Thankyou,
Vanessa Sharp.