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Scientists Hail Parkinson’s Brain Cells ‘Breakthrough’

Very encouraging and important research step to develop new  treatments to halt or reverse Parkinson’s disease.

 

Scientists are able to utilize skin cells from a patient with Parkinson’s disease to generate brain nerve cells that are affected by the disease to be able to see in great detail how Parkinson’s develops.  This step will enable scientists to study outside the brain the affected brain cells and how these cells live, how they die and why they are different.

 

This important breakthrough will also make it easier and faster to test new drugs and therapies to slow or halt progress of the disease. The goal is to find drugs that prevent the death of these key brain cells that are ravished by Parkinson’s disease. 

 

Dr. Andrew Feigin, Center for Neurosciences at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and also serves as a Director of the Board for the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Inc. states:  This is an important step because it may allow for more rapid screening of potential new treatments, especially “Neuroprotective” Therapies (keeping key brain cells that produce dopamine alive) to slow the progression of disease.  That is, novel treatments could be tested in the laboratory on actual Parkinson’s affected brain cells, before moving the testing to human trials.

 

 

 

Major Parkinson’s Breakthrough: Message of Hope

 

Very promising results on a novel, cutting-edge Gene Therapy on Parkinson’s disease; Patients experience dramatic improvement in the tremors, rigidity and other motor skill problems that are hallmarks of the illness.

 

Dr. Michael Kaplitt, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery and Dr. Andrew Feigin, Center for Neurosciences at The Feinstein Institute both are Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research Grant Recipients and Scientific Advisors for the Foundation.  Dr. Kaplitt’s Gene Therapy with Dr. Feigin as Principal Investigator and Senior Author showed exciting replicated, confirmed results in this follow-up  Phase 2 Clinical Trial which uses a harmless, inactive virus to deliver the GAD gene into the brain region of Parkinson’s patients which involves motor function.  In patients with Parkinson’s disease, their brains get overactive after losing the normal supply of a chemical called GABA. This new treatment, gene therapy, works by inserting billons of copies of a gene into the patients’ brains that helps them produce more GABA. Dr. Feigin was responsible for the medical monitoring of these patients via Brain Imaging at The Feinstein Institute.  This novel treatment is less invasive than Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy and can benefit many patients suffering from other Neurological Diseases.

 

 

Scientific Research Symposium

 

 

The Hartman Scientific Symposium was held at the Feinstein Institute in Manhasset to celebrate some of the recent Hartman Foundation grant recipients, including David Eidelberg, MD, head of the Feinstein's Susan and Leonard Feinstein Center for Neurosciences and a leading Parkinson's researcher.  Dr. Eidelberg is also Chief Scientific Advisor to the Thomas Hartman Foundation.  The foundation awards grants annually to Parkinson's researchers in an effort to identify new insights into disease mechanisms and treatments.

On September 29th, Dr. David Eidelberg of The Feinstein Institute was endowed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke as one of 11 Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research.

At the symposium on October 7th, four world-renowned scientists who have received Hartman Foundation funding discussed some of the latest Parkinson's research findings. "This meeting brings together the scientific leaders in the Parkinson's field," Dr. Eidelberg said.  "Many outstanding Parkinson's scientists have been recipients of support from the Hartman Foundation.  The Hartman Foundation will seek to continue and grow its enthusiastic support of cutting edge research in the field."

  • Champions For Charity   

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                          Thank you for participating in Champions for Charity from November 30, 2011 - December 3, 2011.  It was a great success because of you. A big thank you goes out to Debra DelVecchio and Brooks Brothers for hosting this wonderful event.

  • 21st Annual Tim Teufel Celebrity Golf Tournament:                                                                     Fun filled day was had by all on September 29, 2011 with celebrties, cocktails and food at the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.  It was a huge success with proceeds benefiting the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson's disease.     
                          
             
  • We are pleased to announce our partnership with New York Community Bancorp, Inc. to raise funds for Parkinson’s Research Inc. This year event runs every January. Read more.
  • Parkinson's Benefit in Honor of Kim's Mom                                                                January 15, 2011
    Taking place in Depew, New York
    For secure on-line donations, please click on Donate.
                                               Thank You                                                                                   Kim raised a total of $5953 in honor of her mom....Congratulations!

 

  • Christy's Run for Parkinson's in Honor of her Grandfather
      October 23, 2010      Took place in Kentucky.    10 year old Christy raised $193 in honor of her grandfather who has Parkinson's Disease.

                                
                                               

          
                                          Ashley LeBlanc with signs supporting her run 

  • Original, One of a Kind Inspirational Art- Painted by Louis DeCaro
    You will treasure the amazing work of Louis DeCaro. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2002. He faced this challenge after being forced to retire due to the disease by devoting himself to painting. With his enthusiasm and passion he paints and teaches others suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and other illnesses.

    Louis has generously donated his paintings to the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Inc. with the hope of selling them online to help raise funds for Parkinson’s Research. Click here.

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