title: Trophic factor gene therapy for Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder for which there is presently no cure. Pharmacological remedies targeting the dopaminergic network are relatively effective at ameliorating motor deficits, especially in the early stages of the disease, but none of these therapies are curative and many generate their own problems. Recent advances in PD research have demonstrated that gene delivery of trophic factors, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin, in particular, can provide structural and functional recovery in rodent and nonhuman primate models of PD. Similar success has been gleaned in open-label clinical trials, although this has yet to be realized in double-blinded analyses. This work reviews the field of trophic factor gene delivery for PD.
authors: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. jkordowe@rush.edu
authors: Jeffrey H
authors: JH
authors: Kordower
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Bjorklund
mesh_terms: D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins