Scientists Succeed in Reversing Parkinson’s Symptoms in Mice
Cases of Parkinson's disease have doubled in the last 25 years, according to figures from the World Health Organization. For decades, the scientists have investigated what triggers this disorder to mitigate its symptoms and anticipate its onset. Now, a series of experimental therapies are laying the groundwork for potentially reversing the condition, which affects nearly 10 million people worldwide and can generate costs of approximately $10,000 per patient per year, when considering direct and indirect medical expenses.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disorder in which cells that produce dopamine in the brain die, causing symptoms such as tremors, muscle stiffness, slowness of movement, and alterations in balance. So far there is no cure, and treatments are limited.
Kay Double, a professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Medical Sciences, has been researching the biological mechanisms underlying this disease for more than a decade, with the aim of finding ways to slow or even halt its progression.
