PD and diabetes: the key to the cure??

[SashaSherm@xxxxxxx]

Friends,

I'm the PARKINSONIAN who published the PD-Diabetes link survey. You can find
it in YOUNG AND RESTLESS, Sept. 1993,the newsletter of the APDA Young
Parkinson's Support Group, Boston, Massachusetts.

Contact me at 9 Range Rd, Portland, Maine for a copy, or Ken Bernstein, Y and
R editor, Newton, Massachusetts.

Much credit goes to Ken for publishing my survey results.

I have now surveyed two more Parkinsonians in Maine.  Both have a diabetic
sibling, or parent/aunt/uncle.  PD skipped a generation, and appears in the
grandparent of one  person.  So, I now have 19 out of 23 PD'ers with a
Diabetic close relative!!
That is an astounding 83% rate of  PD-Diabetes links!

I think that WHEN( not  IF) THE UDALL BILL PASSES, someone out there should
 do family studies of PD-DIabetes links, while someone else should develop a
blood screening test for the gene(s) involved.

Dr. Duvoisin at Rutgers , the new APDA medical chairperson, is interested in
genetics.  Hopefully, if enough of you start checking out the PD-Diabetes
link, we will show the importance  of getting RESEARCH FUNDS in this area.

I think the gene (or genes) involved  control(s) the  dopamine
pathway:

tyrosine.....DOPA.....dopamine....noradrenalin....adrenalin(epinephrine).

Genetic disruption of dopamine production or transport could cause PD, while
disruption of the adrenalin(epinephrine) supply could cause a glucose
intolerance or diabetes problem, since insulin is inhibited ( regulated)by
epinephrine.

I would  imagine that instead of masking our symptoms with dopamine derived
from Sinemet,  what we really need is to figure out what enzyme(s) are
genetically programmed to control the creation of dopamine in the substantia
nigra cells,
and  synthesize a drug that will restore or mimic  that enzyme.

Then, we would be curing, not masking Parkinson's.

Any of you out there agree?  DIsagree? Please write!!

Ivan Suzman (SashaSherm@xxxxxxx)  9 Range Road, Portland, Maine, FAX (207)
878-8950; tel (207) 797-8488  Office hours: 8:30am-6:00pm .