~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Raelian Movement for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2128956/Parkinsons-disease-suffere r-Sheila-Roy-write-time-15-years-thanks-new-gene-therapy.html#ixzz1s2WklRUS Parkinson's disease sufferer can write for the first time in 15 years thanks to new gene therapy PUBLISHED: 19:47 GMT, 12 April 2012 | UPDATED: 19:51 GMT, 12 April 2012 A British woman stricken with Parkinson's disease can write for the first time in 15 years after receiving gene therapy. Sheila Roy is one of only 15 people worldwide to undergo the radical treatment, which involves inserting corrective genes into the brain. Diagnosed with Parkinson's in her 40s, she has struggled with the disease for 17 years. The symptoms include severe tremors and loss of balance, making simple tasks such as writing impossible. Doctors at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge injected a modified virus carrying the genes directly into the motor centre of her brain. The genes provide the coded instructions for proteins needed to make dopamine, a brain chemical essential for proper control of movement. Lack of dopamine leads to the symptoms of tremor, stiffness and poor balance associated with Parkinson's. Treatment: Gene therapy involves inserting corrective genes into the brain to provide proteins needed to make dopamine, a brain chemical essential for proper control of movement Treatment: Gene therapy involves inserting corrective genes into the brain to provide proteins needed to make dopamine, a brain chemical essential for proper control of movement Mrs Roy is taking part in an early-stage study of the ProSavin therapy developed by Oxford BioMedica focusing mainly on dosing and safety. Unlike conventional tablets, the therapy involves just one treatment that does not have to be repeated. Mrs Roy, from Bedfordshire, says she is now starting to see "a glimmer" of the person she was before her illness. Success: Following her treatment Sheila Roy has been able to carry out tasks like writing, something she has been unable to do for 15 years Success: Following her treatment Sheila Roy has been able to carry out tasks like writing, something she has been unable to do for 15 years Describing her experiences, she said: 'Early in 2011 I was rapidly deteriorating. 'My medication was being less effective, there was increased involuntary movement, where I frequently hit myself but also other people, and had a four second switch from extreme movement to being 'off' and very still. 'This lasted for some time, up to two hours and more and I could do nothing. 'These unpredictable shifts were like a 'Jekyll and Hyde' transition, and outside of my control. 'At night there was no relief as I had terrible nightmares, and often woke my husband up with screaming or punching him. 'Parkinson's disease changes the ability and capability of the individual affected. You lose confidence, dignity and hope. 'The ProSavin experience has restored my confidence, enabled better motor function and has given me hope. I can function more normally and, for the first time in 15 years, I can write.' The trial is being conducted internationally in two centres - Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Henri Mondor Hospital in Paris, France. Dr Philip Buttery, from the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, who is leading the British arm, said although the research was still at an early stage, the treatment appeared to be having positive results. He told Sky News: 'It seems to be having an overall beneficial effect in smoothing out people's days, probably allowing a slight dose reduction in medication, and in some patients a better sleep pattern and a better quality of life for all.' More studies involving hundreds of patients will be needed to confirm that the therapy is safe and effective. It could be five years or more before the treatment becomes widely available, say the scientists. The Phase I/II trial involves patients with mid-stage Parkinson's who are no longer responding so well to conventional oral treatments. Mrs Roy and five other patients in the UK received a high dose 'enhanced' treatment. Over a period of three months, those patients assessed have shown an average 29 per cent improvement in motor function. A six-month assessment of one of the three other arms, with a lower dosage, has shown an average improvement of 4 per cent and a maximum of 61 per cent. Around 127,000 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson's. The disease usually affects those over the age of 50, but one in 20 patients is younger than 40. Worldwide, 4.1 million people are affected by Parkinson's, a number that is expected to more than double by 2030. Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at the charity Parkinson's UK, added: 'Gene therapies hold great promise for people with Parkinson's in the future, as they could mean an end to the daily regime of drugs that most people with the condition currently face. 'In addition to ProSavin, there are three other gene therapy trials under way at the moment. 'So far all the therapies appear to be safe - now the challenge is to see whether they are more effective than the medications we already have for Parkinson's.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic, anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews, antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism, through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and new technologies. There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history, it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations. On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease, death and the sweat of labour. Rael ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tell your friends that they can subscribe to this list by sending an email to: subscribe@rael-science.org - - - To unsubscribe, send an email to: unsubscribe@rael-science.org - - -
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