Crossroads in GDNF therapy for Parkinson's disease.
The development of a neuroprotective or neuroregenerative therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD) would be a major therapeutic advance. Unfortunately, results from a recent controlled clinical study delivering the neurotrophic factor, glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), directly into brain did not demonstrate efficacy and safety of such a treatment. A critical review of available data suggests that there are questions that need to be answered before the future of GDNF as a therapy for PD can be determined.
Sherer
Todd B
TB
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, New York, New York 10005, USA. tsherer@michaeljfox.org
Fiske
Brian K
BK
Svendsen
Clive N
CN
Lang
Anthony E
AE
Langston
J William
JW
D000818:Animals; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051098:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011699:Putamen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
D051098:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents