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I kid you not:
I cannot read that article without giggling the whole way through it.
Thursday, October 02, 2003:
TORONTO (CP) - A newly identified brain chemical appears to be linked to Parkinson's disease, researchers said Thursday.
Decreased amounts of the chemical - a protein known as Sonic Hedgehog, named for a video game - contribute to symptoms of the disease, according to scientists at Toronto's Western Hospital. And their study suggests that increasing the amount of Sonic Hedgehog in the brain could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's, a disease of the central nervous system that afflicts about one per cent of Canadians over the age of 55.
The findings were released in an international scientific journal published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Sonic Hedgehog is found in the area of the brain that controls movement, the study found, and it influences activity of the specific part of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus, which is known to be hyperactive in people with Parkinson's.
The scientists found that the subthalamic nucleus is hyperactive because there are insufficient amounts of Sonic Hedgehog to adequately control its activity.
Principal investigator Dr. Jonathan Brotchie says the research demonstrates that Sonic Hedgehog plays "a surprising role in the brain's control of body movement."
But further research is needed to develop Sonic Hedgehog into a medication, and that is expected to take years.
The study involved measuring the electrical activity of brain slices from the subthalamic nucleus of adult rats, before and after adding a solution of Sonic Hedgehog. Electrical activity decreased within minutes of Sonic Hedgehog being added.
The scientists expect the findings to be applicable to humans.
"Our discovery will allow a more focused approach for treating Parkinson's disease - one that just targets the malfunctioning areas of the brain," said Brotchie.
"Medications currently used to treat Parkinson's disease affect neurotransmitters located throughout the brain."
TORONTO (CP) - A newly identified brain chemical appears to be linked to Parkinson's disease, researchers said Thursday.
Decreased amounts of the chemical - a protein known as Sonic Hedgehog, named for a video game - contribute to symptoms of the disease, according to scientists at Toronto's Western Hospital. And their study suggests that increasing the amount of Sonic Hedgehog in the brain could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's, a disease of the central nervous system that afflicts about one per cent of Canadians over the age of 55.
The findings were released in an international scientific journal published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Sonic Hedgehog is found in the area of the brain that controls movement, the study found, and it influences activity of the specific part of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus, which is known to be hyperactive in people with Parkinson's.
The scientists found that the subthalamic nucleus is hyperactive because there are insufficient amounts of Sonic Hedgehog to adequately control its activity.
Principal investigator Dr. Jonathan Brotchie says the research demonstrates that Sonic Hedgehog plays "a surprising role in the brain's control of body movement."
But further research is needed to develop Sonic Hedgehog into a medication, and that is expected to take years.
The study involved measuring the electrical activity of brain slices from the subthalamic nucleus of adult rats, before and after adding a solution of Sonic Hedgehog. Electrical activity decreased within minutes of Sonic Hedgehog being added.
The scientists expect the findings to be applicable to humans.
"Our discovery will allow a more focused approach for treating Parkinson's disease - one that just targets the malfunctioning areas of the brain," said Brotchie.
"Medications currently used to treat Parkinson's disease affect neurotransmitters located throughout the brain."
I cannot read that article without giggling the whole way through it.
Damn right scientists have a sense of humor!
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