(Nicola Simonetti) A hope for a solution to the tremor and other symptoms comes from Japan. is launched, with a clinical "test". The professor. Jun Takahashi and co-workers injected, through a specialized apparatus inserted into the skull through a breach of 12 millimeters in diameter, into the brains of seven patients (volunteers who will be followed, step by step, up to 2022), a number of neurological cells dopaminergics (which produce dopamine), obtained from stem cells equipped for the purpose.
Before reaching the patient, the technique was successfully tested (preclinical research) in monkeys whose movements had been altered (as happens in those who suffer from Parkinson's disease) with the injection of a specific toxin ("poison").
The animals, thus treated, showed, after the treatment, a clear improvement in body movements. Motility, penalized Parkinson-like, was almost completely recovered.
The announcement was made, correctly, through the publication of the procedure and detailed results in the scientific journal "Nature (8 / 2017).
The goal of the researchers is to obtain from the stem cells the generation of new neurons that manufacture and make available dopamine, a substance that has disappeared in the sick and whose deficiency is the cause of disease.
Parkinson's disease is linked to the death of brain neurons that produce the dopamine neurotransmitter, a substance that relays the nervous message to the area of the brain that controls and starts movements.
The loss of dopamine generates tremors, stiffness, and other motor difficulties in the affected patient.
The "miracle" therapy with dopamine (levdopa) - says prof. Leonardo Lopiano, president of the LIMPE-DISMOV Academy and Limpe Settlement for Parkinson's - has a short life and the sick-therapy "honeymoon" clouded / ended. Among other things, the subcutaneous injection formulation is being prepared.
“Undoubtedly a limit - says M. Takahashi - in function of the progressive loss of the neurons that produce it; our cell transplantation could also overcome the serious inconvenience ".
In Italy, 250 thousand people, of which 10% under 40-50 years (males twice the number of women) are carriers of Parkinson's (he took the name from the Author who described it 200 years ago), a disease that creates easy disabilities and negatively affects the whole family and, especially those of them, takes care of the sick and, necessarily, is engaged full-time at the expense of health, work and private life
Caregivers (especially women: 76,4%) are on average 10 hours a day, in 30% of cases without any help. This is what emerges from a research carried out by Censis, with the unconditioned contribution of AbbVie, on the role of caregivers in advanced Parkinson's disease, which sheds light on the care burdens of family members and on the impact that care tasks have on their existential condition.
80,8% of patients need help to remember to take their medications at the right times. The 42,4% of patients is not self-sufficient in taking a shower or bath, 36,5% taking care of personal hygiene, 37,9% dressing, 35% having incontinence problems, 29,1% having difficulty moving, 21,7 % can't eat alone.
A commitment, for those assisting, who occupy the entire day: on average 8,8 hours for direct assistance tasks and 10,2 hours for surveillance (data that grows with increasing severity of the disease). The 30% of caregivers do not receive any help in care activities, the 44,3% receives help from other family members, the 17,3% from staff paid for assistance, 4,4% from personnel paid for domestic services, just the 2,5% from public staff, 1% from friends, 0,5% from volunteers. Rehabilitation therapy is the service enjoyed by the majority of patients (57,6%), while the role of social-health and care services is marginal. The 41,4% can count on financial aid and / or tax relief, the 26,6% on websites where detailed information on the disease and treatments can be found, the 16,7% on relations with other family members of the sick, the 13,8% on the nurse at home in case of need, the 12,8% on psychological counseling, 11,8% on the always available telephone number of a medical team to request information on therapy.
The 79,2% of caregivers have suffered in terms of health from the commitment to assist Parkinson's patients. The 65,3% feels physically tired, 13,6% of women say they suffer from depression, compared to 2,1% of men. Dedicating yourself to the care of Parkinson's patients also involves work changes for the 36,9% of caregivers. In 26,1% a negative impact was found on all members of the family unit. And for 8,4% there were also consequences for the couple relationship.
Drugs and new therapies - says prof. Pietro Cortelli, president of the LIMPE Foundation - can contribute to significantly improving the patient's quality of life but this is only the culmination of a triangle. The other two are doctors and other health figures and relatives.
