Researchers reverse Parkinson's symptoms in animal models
David Cameron, Whitehead Institute
June 22, 2006


Statistics for neurological disorders are grim. More than a million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease alone -- a number that is expected to soar over the next few decades as the population ages. No current therapies alter the fundamental clinical course of the condition.

Now, scientists at MIT and the Whitehead Institute, in collaboration with colleagues at several research centers including the University of Missouri, have identified a key biological pathway that, when obstructed, causes Parkinson's symptoms. Even more importantly, they have figured out how to repair that pathway and restore normal neurological function in certain animal models.