X-Message-Number: 15847 Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 12:23:41 -0500 (EST) From: Ruthanna R Gordon <> Subject: Re: CryoNet #15834 - #15841 <On Sat, 10 Mar 2001 Scott Badger wrote: > > Also, I was listening to NPR on the way home a couple > days ago and heard a discussion on a recent experiment > where doctors implanted brain cells grown from stem > cells into Parkinsons patients. A few responded so > well that they were able to stop medication treatments > completely. The only problematic apsect of this > treatment was supposedly that some of the patients had > negative side effects similar to those of patients who > take too much medication (resulting in excessively > high levels of dopamine). Also troubling was the fact > that it is much more difficult to regulate the > dopamine production of the cells than to simply adjust > the dosage of prescribed meds. The researcher > interviewed was still pretty excited though because > one of their initial concerns was that they would have > a difficult time implanting enough cells to produce > the amount of dopamine needed and it turns out instead > that, on average, considerably fewer cells were needed > than anticipated. Really? The New York Times article said that those who didn't have the side effects did *not* show any substantial improvement. They framed it as a serious setback for this research. I wonder which interpretation is accurate (I should, obviously, go take a look at the original research, though I probably won't have time to till the summer). The Times article is at: Parkinson's Research Is Set Back by Failure of Fetal Cell Implants http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/08/health/08PARK.html > Other news ... I've accepted a position at U of Idaho. > Moving there from Texas will be a big change but I > look forward to it. Congratulations! Freedom and Long Life, Ruthanna Gordon *If God hadn't meant people to have wings, S/He wouldn't have made them* *want to fly.* Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15847