During a recent UK study the experimental drug GDNF was administered to five Parkinson’s patients directly into the brain area suffering damage. Within a couple of months, patients were noticing dramatic improvements in their ability to move; improvements which continued for a further four years of treatment. Even after ceasing medication, the improvement has been maintained.
After the unrelated death of one of the participants, a 62-year-old patient, researchers were able to examine directly the effects of the drug on the brain. As the drug had only been infused into one side of the brain, the effects of the treatment could be assessed by comparing the two sides.
Researchers found that dopamine-containing nerve fibers had sprouted back in the putamen. Professor Seth Love from Bristol University, UK said: “This is the first neuropathological evidence that infusion of GDNF in humans causes sprouting of dopamine fibers, in association with a reduction in the severity of Parkinson’s disease.”
The findings may revitalize interest in GDNF administration as a potential therapy for this degenerative condition, providing renewed hope for patients disappointed by the recent withdrawal of this drug due to concerns about its safety.