Gene therapy offers hope for Parkinson's patients

New trials of gene therapy to treat Parkinson's disease have shown encouraging results, bringing hope to millions of people suffering from the condition worldwide.

Illustration photo. (Source: thenews.com.pk)

This information was published in the British medical journal The Lancet on January 10.

The new therapy, called ProSavin, has been approved for human trials after being tested on monkeys in the laboratory.

An international team of scientists tested the new therapy on 15 patients aged 48-65 with Parkinson's disease.

The therapy aims to improve a lack of dopamine - a neurotransmitter that helps the brain control movement and coordination.

First, the scientists inserted three genes that code for dopamine-producing brain cells into a weakened lentivirus.

Doctors then implant the virus into the patient's brain, where it enters and prompts brain cells to resume dopamine production.

Results showed that patients treated with ProSavin had better motor coordination and balance, reduced tremors, muscle spasticity, and improved speech behavior.

After 12 months of treatment, motor symptoms continued to improve in all patients, especially those who received high doses of gene therapy. The therapy was also shown to be safe for patients.

However, according to scientist Jon Stoessl of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, the new therapy does not treat non-motor problems caused by Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease in which patients lose muscle flexibility and coordination, often experiencing involuntary tremors and seizures.

In addition, Parkinson's causes non-motor symptoms, including cognitive and behavioral problems, which can have a major impact on a person's quality of life.

There are currently up to five million people suffering from this disease worldwide./.

According to VNA