(Press-News.org) IDIBELL researchers, led by the director of the Program for Epigenetics and Cancer Biology, ICREA researcher and Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona, Manel Esteller, have shown that a combination of effective drugs for Parkinson's disease in mice that are used as a model of human Rett syndrome reduces some of the symptoms associated with this disease. The results of the study are published in the journal Neurophsycopharmacology
Second leading cause of mental retardation in females
Rett syndrome is the second most common cause of mental retardation in women, after Down syndrome. It is a neurodevelopmental disease whose clinical picture begins to appear 6-18 months after birth and involves a loss of intellectual, social and motor skills, accompanied by autistic behaviors, such as repetitive movements of the hands.
The syndrome is usually due to the presence of a mutation in the MECP2 gene, an epigenetic gene which controls the activity of many other genes like a padlock. Today there is no effective treatment of the disease. Manel Esteller's group, in collaboration with the group of neurometabolic diseases IDIBELL led by Aurora Pujol, described this week in the journal Neuropsycopharmacology how drug treatment in mice used as models of Rett syndrome reduces some of the symptoms associated with the disease .
Altered production via Dopamine
"Six years ago, studying the brains of mice that faithfully present the same characteristics of human Rett syndrome, we found that there was an alteration in the way of production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Here, Rett syndrome bore some resemblance to Parkinson, which also presents defects in the same molecule.
There are effective drugs in Parkinson's so we decided to study whether they could also function in Rett syndrome, "says Manel Esteller. "We found that combined treatment with L-Dopa and Dopa decarboxylase inhibitor reduces typical manifestations of the disease and mobility defects, tremor and respiratory distress in these animals."
"This is not a panacea or a magic pill or" warns Esteller "but at least is a starting point to study whether it may also be useful in controlling the symptoms of Rett syndrome in humans."
INFORMATION:
Article reference
Improvement of the Rett Syndrome Phenotype in a Mecp2 Mouse Model Upon Treatment with Levodopa and a Dopa Decarboxylase Inhibitor. Szczesna K, de la Caridad O, Petazzi P, Soler M, Roa L, Saez MA, Fourcade S, Pujol A, Artuch-Iriberri R, Molero-Luis M, Vidal A, Huertas D, Esteller M. Neuropsychopharmacology, doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.136, 2014.
Effective drugs for Parkinson's reduce symptoms of Rett syndrome in mice
2014-06-16
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Could politics trump economics as reason for growing income inequality?
2014-06-16
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Most research examining growing income inequality in the United States has focused on economic causes, for seemingly obvious reasons.
But a new study suggests that a different cause – the politically induced decline in the strength of worker unions – may play a much more pivotal role than previously understood.
In fact, the role that union decline has played in growing income inequality may actually be larger than many of the favorite explanations offered by economists, such as the education gap in the United States.
Among their contributions to income ...
Will diabetes patients benefit from the Affordable Care Act?
2014-06-16
New Rochelle, NY, June 14, 2014—The Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) is dramatically changing health care delivery in the U.S. Specific parts of the new law, which will be phased in through 2020, will have a significant impact on patients with diabetes and prediabetes, as explored in a comprehensive Review article published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the DTT website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/dia.2014.0171.
In "Diabetes ...
Stem cells in neurodegeneration: challenges and future neurotherapeutic prospects
2014-06-16
Researchers at the University of Florida, USA, led by Dr. K. Wang have demonstrated that inhibition of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and subsequent cofilin dephosphorylation is mediating neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. The lack of axonal regeneration in adult central nervous system (CNS) is one of the main cause of neurodegenerative disorders. Thus ROCK inhibition mediated neurite outgrowth is clinically relevant to treat CNS diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and stroke (Zhang et al., 2006).
In a follow up study by Prof. W.S. ...
Nanoscale composites improve MRI
2014-06-16
HOUSTON – (June 16, 2014) – Submicroscopic particles that contain even smaller particles of iron oxide could make magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) a far more powerful tool to detect and fight disease.
Scientists at Rice University and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute (TMHRI) led an international team of researchers in creating composite particles that can be injected into patients and guided by magnetic fields. Once in position, the particles may be heated to kill malignant tissues or trigger the release of drugs at the site.
The "nanoconstructs" should fully ...
Scientists use LiDAR, 3-D modeling software to intricately map active Chinese fault zone
2014-06-16
Chinese and American scientists collaborating in the study of an active seismic fault that produced one of China's most deadly earthquakes say their deployment of an airborne LiDAR system, which uses pulses of laser light to calculate distances and chart terrain features, has helped them produce the most precise topographical measurements ever of the fault zone.
"Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) presents a new approach to build detailed topographic maps effectively," they report. They add that these high-precision three-dimensional models can be used to illustrate ...
Citizen journalism gets more stories out than traditional reporting in war-torn Syria
2014-06-16
London (16 June 2014). Citizen reporters are increasingly getting stories out of remote areas of Syria, which are difficult for traditional media to reach during the conflict, according to data collated for Index on Censorship magazine.
It showed more reports were coming from citizen journalists than traditional media, in all areas of the country, with the exception of Homs.
Index on Censorship magazine worked with Syria Tracker, the independent news tracker, which has scanned 160,000 news reports and social media updates to look at the scale of citizen journalism. Syria ...
Caffeine affects boys and girls differently after puberty, study finds
2014-06-16
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Caffeine intake by children and adolescents has been rising for decades, due in large part to the popularity of caffeinated sodas and energy drinks, which now are marketed to children as young as four. Despite this, there is little research on the effects of caffeine on young people.
One researcher who is conducting such investigations is Jennifer Temple, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.
Her new study finds that after puberty, boys and ...
Animal trapping records reveal strong wolf effect across North America
2014-06-16
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Scientists have used coyote and red fox fur trapping records across North America to document how the presence of wolves influences the balance of smaller predators further down the food chain.
From Alaska and Yukon to Nova Scotia and Maine, the researchers have demonstrated that a "wolf effect" exists, favoring red foxes where wolves are present and coyotes where wolves are absent.
This effect requires that enough wolves be present to suppress coyotes over a wide area. Fur trapping records from Saskatchewan and Manitoba reveal that where wolves are ...
No long-term anxiety or distress associated with low-dose computed tomography screening
2014-06-16
DENVER - Examination and review of several studies that evaluated patient-centered outcomes for individuals undergoing low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer found that screening does not appear to significantly influence overall health-related quality of life or result in long-term changes in anxiety or distress, but that positive results in the short-term, do increase distress levels.
The National Lung Cancer Screening Trial showed that three annual LDCT screens, in contrast to standard lung x-rays, can decrease lung cancer mortality by 20% and ...
Improved diagnostic performance of low-dose computed tomography screening
2014-06-16
DENVER - Investigators of the COSMOS (Continuous Observation of SMOking Subjects) study show good compliance and patient survival outcomes using a 5-year low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening protocol in individuals at high-risk of developing lung cancer. This protocol had fewer patients requiring further diagnostic follow-up compared to other studies, including the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST), with a minimal number of incorrect diagnoses.
The 5-year survival rate for early diagnosed lung cancer is 50% but after the cancer has spread to distant ...