Re: PD and diabetes: the key to the cure??

["J.R. Bruman" <jrbruman@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I think you are onto something here. FYI, the scientific community also
seems aware of the correlation between diabetes and PD, but I haven't
seen any suggestion of a cause/effect relation as yet. As for restoring
host production of dopamine, the genetic engineers are working on it, but
success looks a long way off. I think first they will have to find out
how to make the SN cells stop dying.

Cheers, Joe


J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694
3527 Cody Road
Sherman Oaks CA 91403


On Mon, 1 Apr 1996 SashaSherm@xxxxxxx wrote:

> 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 .
>