The breakthrough research suggests that a single jab of genes in the brain can significantly diminish the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers from the Oxford University believe that just one injection may be enough to cure the disease for the whole life.
It was found that the treatment improved walking and deftness by more than sixty percent in sufferers of the disease, heard a conference at the weekend. The new treatment has seen some Parkinson’s sufferers return to their physical activities like golf for the first time in years and some were able to take the bus.
More than one lakh people in Briton experience the agony of Parkinson’s disease, having symptoms including stiffness and tremors. The condition is occurred due to the death of brain cells which generate chemical known as dopamine that is crucial for co-ordination. Treatments for the condition include use of drug called L-dopa that improves dopamine but can cause muscle problems.
However, the breakthrough jab is developed by British firm Oxford BioMedica, contains three genes which play significant role in generating dopamine. The jab is injected into the brain under local anesthetic and genes set up a surrogate dopamine factory. In a trail nine patient given the jab shown reduction in stiffness and shaking by forty-three percent.
One patient had shown significant improvement by up sixty percent. There were no serious side-effects of the treatment, heard the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s conference. The researchers are planning more trails.