In a trial published in 2011, researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York found that a gene therapy designed to turn down the activity of the subthalamic nucleus improved motor control for people with Parkinson’s.
One year after treatment, the people in the gene therapy group were found to have new brain connections that weren’t seen in the placebo group. Shutting down the disease-causing pathways between the subthalamic nucleus and the brain’s motor regions appeared to encourage alternative pathways to develop instead, says David Eidelberg at the Feinstein Institute, who led the study.
These alternative pathways are not found in healthy people. This suggests that gene therapy lets people with Parkinson’s form novel, compensatory brain circuits for controlling movement, says Eidelberg.
The team is now planning a larger trial of gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease that is due to start at the end of 2019.
Caloric Vestibular Stimulation seems very promising
Nicotinamide riboside supplement shows promise as a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease - I started taking it today!
Presentation by Prof R Barker - University of Cambridge: "Can we repair the brain in PD using cell-based therapies?"
