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T-ing up a new target for Parkinson's disease treatment

July 1st, 2011

Parkinson disease (PD) affects 1-2% of the population over the age of 65 years. It results from loss or loss of function of nerve cells in the brain that coordinate movement. As a result, the hallmark symptoms of PD are trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; stiffness of the limbs and trunk; slowness of movement; and impaired balance and coordination. There is no cure for PD, but symptoms can be alleviated with a variety of drugs. A team of researchers, led by Chung-Chin Kuo, at National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taiwan, has now shown that pharmacological blockade of T-type calcium channels reduces deficiencies in the ability to move normally in a rat model of PD. This, and other observations, leads them to suggest that targeting T-type calcium channels could provide a new approach to treating individuals with PD.

More information:
www.jci.org/articles/view/4648 … b7b5f0630636ab8bf422

Provided by Journal of Clinical Investigation

Citation: T-ing up a new target for Parkinson's disease treatment (2011, July 1) retrieved 12 August 2026 from https://sciencex.com/wire-news/70978635/t-ing-up-a-new-target-for-parkinsons-disease-treatment.html

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