Why am I so optimistic? Read this cool book...

[bassofspades]

Here's a link. The book is mostly a biography of Jennifer Doudna, Nobel prize winner for her work in genomic editing. It goes into great detail explaining the science. This is what's going to cure us and make PD a thing of the past.

Absolutely fascinating!!!

I think you might like this book – "The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race" by Walter Isaacson.

Start reading it for free: a.co/0yFpljD

[MBAnderson]

I have just started "The Code Breaker." Available here for $6.69 or Amazon for $21.49.

jenadabest.com/the-code-bre...

[Smittybear7 in reply to MBAnderson]

Thanks

[LAJ12345]

Thanks Bass! Sounds good. I have just bought on kindle!

[bassofspades]

Very educational!

[jimcaster]

Thanks for the encouraging news and the book recommendation, Bass. My only concern is whether any of us will live long enough to benefit from gene therapy. When can we realistically expect this to be readily available for treatment of Parkinson’s? I don't think it's a matter of "if" but the "when" has me concerned.

[PixelPaul in reply to jimcaster]

Whenever I read about possible future cures I do so knowing that it won’t arrive until long after I’m gone. But that’s ok, it’s still makes me optimistic to think that one day others may not have to suffer from the same fate as us.

[jimcaster in reply to PixelPaul]

I feel much the same way, but every now and then there's something which offers a glimmer of hope like your recent post about Dr. Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein. I'm relatively early in this journey and I'm probably naive, but I'd like to think that a positive attitude (which is partially based on hope) is one of the few things we can do to positively deal with the hand we've been dealt.

[bassofspades]

Here's the thing, I think . It's going to most likely repair the gene that causes misfolding of alpha synuclean proteins which accumulate in clumps and choke dopaminergic neurons . I don't suspect that it will clear the existing clumps, maybe the body will do that to some degree . And I don't believe that it will regrow or replace damaged or dead neurons. However, stem cell therapy would be appropriate here. Perhaps they can successfully create monoclonal antibodies that will attack and remove the misfolded proteins. The best results are going to come from very early stage patients and the line on the graph will go down proportionally to the degree to which the disease has progressed. So there you have it , my 3 stage cure!

1. Stop the damage process

2. Clear the clumps.

3. Replace the neurons.

I'll take that Nobel prize , thank you very much .

[Despe in reply to bassofspades]

Easier said than done, dear Bass, but I LOVE your optimism. No life without hope!

[ParlePark]

This is available at my local library. Have it in hold. Downloadable to Kindle too.

[jimcaster]

Here's a gene therapy story with close ties to Parkinson’s Disease which provides reasons for optimism! ucsf.edu/news/2021/07/42098...

[LAJ12345]

My book club is now going to read it! Thanks for the suggestion.

[LAJ12345]

I’ve just finished the book. It is very interesting and exciting. Slightly unnerving though what they are getting into and the potential for a loose cannon to go off on their own and do something disastrous. (Is this what covid is??). I am a little worry about the excitement about f8nding something that wipes out all viruses. Bacteria are there for a reason. What if viruses are too?😬

[bassofspades in reply to LAJ12345]

Lots of ethical considerations

[Smittybear7]

Thanks for sharing