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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UWA-101
http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/3767
Ecstasy, Rats and a Possible Parkinson's Treatment
The idea to use ecstasy as a base for research into the disease came to Prof Piggott from an ABC television program, which showed the involuntary movements of a British man affected by Parkinson's almost disappear after taking ecstasy.
Parkinson’s disease affects a large number of people all around the world and is an issue close to home for Prof Piggott, as his father is a sufferer of the disease.
An article in The Journal of Biology Chemistry stated that Parkinson’s is caused by "the death of midbrain dopamine neurons from oxidative stress, abnormal protein aggregation, and genetic predisposition". No cure has been found so far, although there are ways to treat Parkinson's, they only work in the short term.
UWA-101 is a compound that has been found to significantly reduce the involuntary movements which are common symptoms for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease, that become worse after prolonged use of the commonly prescribed drug Levodopa.
A concept that the head of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Colorado University of Medicine, Curt Freed, agrees with.
He said in an interview with Disabled World that, “drugs currently used to treat Parkinson's disease just treat symptoms; they do not stop the disease from getting worse.”
In an interview with ScienceWA Prof Piggott explained, “In healthy brains, dopamine would be released in certain parts of the brain when it’s required. But, Levodopa therapy is like a blunt instrument, and when you’re constantly flooding all of the brain with high levels of dopamine to replace the dopamine that’s been lost, it eventually affects normal function in other parts of the brain.”
Prof Piggott said that five to 10 years down the track, the symptoms of uncontrolled movement grow more intense when independent from Levodopa therapy, causing more discomfort and less mobility for Parkinson’s patients.
It is this long-term effect that Prof Piggott is aiming to prevent, but with limited funding, his project could take several years to reach an outcome.
http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/3767
Ecstasy, Rats and a Possible Parkinson's Treatment
The idea to use ecstasy as a base for research into the disease came to Prof Piggott from an ABC television program, which showed the involuntary movements of a British man affected by Parkinson's almost disappear after taking ecstasy.
Parkinson’s disease affects a large number of people all around the world and is an issue close to home for Prof Piggott, as his father is a sufferer of the disease.
An article in The Journal of Biology Chemistry stated that Parkinson’s is caused by "the death of midbrain dopamine neurons from oxidative stress, abnormal protein aggregation, and genetic predisposition". No cure has been found so far, although there are ways to treat Parkinson's, they only work in the short term.
UWA-101 is a compound that has been found to significantly reduce the involuntary movements which are common symptoms for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease, that become worse after prolonged use of the commonly prescribed drug Levodopa.
A concept that the head of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Colorado University of Medicine, Curt Freed, agrees with.
He said in an interview with Disabled World that, “drugs currently used to treat Parkinson's disease just treat symptoms; they do not stop the disease from getting worse.”
In an interview with ScienceWA Prof Piggott explained, “In healthy brains, dopamine would be released in certain parts of the brain when it’s required. But, Levodopa therapy is like a blunt instrument, and when you’re constantly flooding all of the brain with high levels of dopamine to replace the dopamine that’s been lost, it eventually affects normal function in other parts of the brain.”
Prof Piggott said that five to 10 years down the track, the symptoms of uncontrolled movement grow more intense when independent from Levodopa therapy, causing more discomfort and less mobility for Parkinson’s patients.
It is this long-term effect that Prof Piggott is aiming to prevent, but with limited funding, his project could take several years to reach an outcome.
