A Biotech Bash - Recs and Wrecks Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : A Biotech Bash - Recs and Wrecks

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: Miljenko Zuanic who wrote (91)	8/29/1997 11:52:00 PM
From: r. peter Dale	of 171

Miljenko: Distinctions between Alzheimer's and Parkinson's- 1) AD - one of the primary deficits is loss of cells in the nucleus basalis. This results in a significant loss of cholinergic input to the hippocampus; if my neuroanatomy memory is correct, the receptors in the hippocampus are primarily muscarinic. This degeneration underlies much of the primary dementia. The association of the progressive spread of plaques and tangles in AD with cholinergic cell loss is unclear. However, cholinergic agents directly address the Ach loss. As you are well aware, this approach has historically (20 years?) produced mixed results; all such treatments are doomed to fail since disease progression, often rapid, has not been altered. 2) PD - Cells of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (a tiny structure in the brain stem) degenerate for unknown reasons. This small group of neurons are the only cells in the entire CNS which use dopamine as a neurotransmitter and are of critical importance. They send 'information' to most areas of the brain but the largest output is to the striatum (hence the 'nigrostiratal pathway') where aspects of complex motor coordination are processed. It is loss of dopaminergic input to this region which leads to much of the motor symtomology. To my knowledge cholinergic involvement is secondary at best, likely bringing excitatory (nicotinic) or inhibitory (musc.) input to the dopaminergic cells. Thus cholinergic treatment is a more indirect way of restoring dopamine than L-dopa, resperine, etc since it apparently depends upon signal transduction to release DA through the dopaminergic neuron. I recall first reading Peter Davies' article about the cholinergic theory of memory dysfunction 15 years ago. The fact that the FDA is evaluating so many cholinergic agents is a simple function of the pipeline. Growth factor (or other survival agents) supplementation or transplant therapy in both of these diseases has reached a level in academic labs so as to be clinically applicable on a significant scale soon. Growth factor treatment is certainly not risk free but it is substantially closer to treating the disease, not just the symptoms. And, of course, its hard to patent fetal tissue... Best wishes, Peter

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next