Ganglioside GM1 against Parkinson's disease
In the United States alone, more than a million elderly people are living with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, while approximately 60,000 new cases of the disease are detected annually. The symptoms of this age-related neurodegenerative disease include tremor, slowness and difficulty in movement, difficulty walking, balance disorders, as well as a decrease in the volume of voice and expressiveness of facial expressions.
Ganglioside GM1 is a chemical compound that is part of the outer shell of nerve cells. He has important roles in the development and survival of neurons, as well as the management of a wide range of types of cell activity. The results of preclinical studies have shown that GM1 is able to maintain the viability of damaged neurons and increase the concentration of dopamine in brain tissue.
The structural formula of ganglioside GM1 (figure from Wikipedia)Thomas Jefferson University specialists conducted a randomized clinical trial in which they monitored the condition of 77 patients with Parkinson's disease who received experimental therapy with GM1 ganglioside and 17 patients of the control group, whose treatment consisted in the use of standard approaches, for 120 weeks.
The data collected during the observation of the study participants indicate that GM1 ganglioside has a positive effect on the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and changes the course of the disease. According to Professor Jay S. Schneider, head of the Department for the Study of Parkinson's Disease at Thomas Jefferson University, if the results obtained can be reproduced in larger clinical trials, in the near future, GM1 ganglioside therapy can significantly alleviate the condition of numerous patients with Parkinson's disease.
Article by Jay S. Schneider et al. A randomized, controlled, delayed start trial of GM1 ganglioside in treated Parkinson's disease patients is published in the Journal of the Neurological Science.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Thomas Jefferson University:
Potential New Drug for Parkinson’s Disease Tested at Jefferson.
06.12.2012