Treatment of parkinsonism: catheter in the brain
Parkinson's disease is proposed to be treated with a protein pump
Kirill Stasevich, CompulentaDoctors from Frenchay Hospital (Bristol, UK) have found a way to slow down the development of Parkinsonism.
As with any other neurodegenerative disorder, there is also a massive death of nerve cells, which affects a variety of brain functions (with Parkinson's syndrome, for example, neurons controlling movement die first of all, and a person eventually loses control of the muscles). The disease is triggered by insoluble protein deposits in neurons, although the specific causes of cell death are still being studied.
Steven Gill and his colleagues tried to stop cell death by injecting glial neurotrophic factor (GDNF) into the brains of patients. This protein stimulated the growth of nerve cells, and it came through a special system of tubes and catheters from a reservoir attached to the patient's ear. That is, a portable pump acts as a medicine here, which gradually pumps healing protein into the brain.
It is clear that such a device cannot be introduced without neurosurgical intervention, however, the six patients who received it feel fine for a month after the operation – therefore, the method itself is quite safe.
Now doctors are looking for new volunteers (Get involved in North Bristol NHS Trust – VM) to see on a larger sample how much such an extraordinary method of treatment helps, whether it is possible to slow down the development of symptoms of Parkinson's disease with a constant injection of GDNF protein. Until they have data on at least a few dozen patients, doctors will not discuss the effectiveness of the method.
Scientists have been looking for a way to adapt the glial neurotrophic factor for the treatment of Parkinson's syndrome for a long time: studies have shown that it can "revive" neurons affected by the disease, so that they begin to grow and, in principle, are able to restore destroyed neural networks. However, with the use of this protein in practice, a problem arose: in order to "push" it into the brain, to sick neurons, you need to somehow overcome a powerful blood-brain barrier that does not allow anything extraneous to the brain.
As you can see, the barrier was overcome in a rather peculiar and, perhaps, not quite convenient way – with the help of an injection implant. But there is not much success in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases so far, so here, as they say, any means are good – just to help.
Prepared based on the materials of the French Hospital: People with Parkinson’s needed for cutting edge trial at Frenchay HospitalPortal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru