Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Disease

The fight to cure Parkinsons has led to many new avenues of better understanding the disease and its markers, genetically.  While drugs can assist in masking the symptoms of the disease, including tremors, freezing, and weakness, there does come a point for some, when drug therapy loses effectiveness.


Dr. Andrew Feigin of The Feinstein Institute of Medical Research conducted a trial for gene therapy for advanced parkinson's patients.  Claiming significant success in improving motor function for those patients who no longer benefit from drug therapy, gene therapy does seem to show promise for neurological disorders.  


Although many questions remain unanswered, in terms of how long this positive effect would would last, the side effects of injecting viruses directly into the brain, and what effect it would have, if any, for the dementia that accompanies Parkinsons for some.


However, these really are early days in gene identification, let alone gene therapy.  But hope springs eternal in medicine's continued fight for a cure.


Too late for my dad, but hope for all others and their families.