Posted on June 24: Parkinson Society Canada awards McMaster researcher

Parkinson Society Canada has awarded McMaster researcher Lennard Niles $45,000 for a one-year pilot study entitled “Neuroprotection by neural stem cells and melatonin in a model of Parkinson's disease”.

Niles, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, and principal investigator, will collaborate with Laurie Doering in the Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine.

Parkinson s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder which is caused by the progressive loss of brain cells (neurons) in an area of the brain involved with movement. The death of these neurons results in a deficiency of a chemical called dopamine, which is essential for the initiation and regulation of movement. Consequently, PD is characterized by tremor in the extremities, difficulty in initiating voluntary movements, and rigidity. The cause of this debilitating disorder remains a mystery, and although certain drugs such as the dopamine precursor, L-DOPA, provide symptomatic relief, there are at present no treatments which can prevent the onset of PD or stop its relentless progression.

An important focus of current studies is on the potential benefits of agents which can protect brain cells from the destructive effects of toxic substances called free radicals, which are naturally produced in living cells, or synthetic neurotoxins, such as pesticides, which are present in the environment, and thought to be involved in the onset of PD.

In this research project, the effects of implanting stem cells, which produce neurotrophic (ie neuron-supportive) factors, in the brain of an animal model of PD, will be examined. In addition, animals will be treated with melatonin, based on recent evidence from the Niles laboratory that: 1. this hormone acts on target sites (receptors) to stimulate the production of neurotrophic factors which are particularly supportive of dopaminergic cells in the brain; and 2. the receptors for melatonin are present on neural stem cells and also in the brain areas which lack dopamine in PD.

It is anticipated that the enhanced production of these potent neurotrophic agents will protect residual dopamine-producing nerve cells and hopefully induce regeneration and growth of these neurons in the PD brain. It is further anticipated that these effects will be associated with a reversal of the behavioural and functional abnormalities exhibited by the PD model, thus indicating novel and potent therapeutic strategies for managing PD.

Parkinson Society Canada is a not for profit, charitable organization that raises money through corporate sponsorships, public donations, and planned gifts to help find the cause and a cure for Parkinson's Disease.