Gene Therapy for Parkinson's

[Angel]

More than 1.5 million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease. There is no cure. But now there is a new treatment that may improve patients' quality of life.

At 58, Jean Erickson began noticing signs that something was very wrong. "I would freeze," she says. "I would start to walk and then suddenly I couldn't walk anymore."

Erickson has Parkinson's disease, a neurological condition that causes tremors. Like many patients, her medications stopped working properly, so she volunteered for a clinical trial on gene therapy.

With the new therapy, doctors insert needles in the head to infuse a virus that releases a gene deep in the brain.

"Our gene therapy is one that is directed at replacing an enzyme that is lost as Parkinson's disease progresses," says Chad Christine, M.D., a neurologist at University of California, San Francisco.
Erickson is one of four people who's tried the therapy. So far, all the patients reported improvements and have not had to increase their meds.

Dr. Christine says, "We are delighted to observe that patients seem to be getting improvement from this low dose and are hopeful that even higher doses will be more effective."

Erickson hopes so, too. "I can walk better. I can talk better. My speech, eating in restaurants, isn't as draining as it used to be." It took courage to be one of the first to try a new treatment. She says she's glad she did.

As the clinical trial continues, patients will receive higher doses of the gene therapy. Doctors hope to see even more striking results. Right now, it looks like the therapy will be a one-time treatment.