Is there a cure for Parkinsons disease?

Research into Parkinsons disease has been ongoing for many years, and though as yet there is no cure for the disease, hopes are high that even though it may yet take several more years a cure will eventually become available.

Parkinsons disease is a neurological disease which affects people mostly who are over the age of 50. However it does affect a substantial number of people under this age, sometimes as young as in their thirties.

There have been many research projects conducted into looking for a cure for the disease, which includes controversial embryonic stem and adult stem cells research.

Feelings about using stem cell research can run incredibly high, especially when embryonic cells are used. Many people feel using this type of material for research is the thin end of the wedge, and should be banned despite the embryo's being the product of in-vitro fertilisation.

The ideas behind stem cell research is the hypotheses that these cells can be prompted to replace those lost during the progression of Parkinsons disease.

Adult stem cell research is about exploring whether these cells can be used in the same way as embryonic cells. Adult stem cells are harvested from bone marrow in an adult, and because there is a degree of consent involved in this harvesting, this research is not the subject of the ethical problems posed by embryonic stem cell research. However one of the problems of using adult stem cells is they are not thought to be as effective in replacing lost cells as are the embryonic cells.

Other research studies currently in progress include the study of neurotrophic factors. Studies into animals using this branch of research have discovered that using these factors can assist in reviving inactive brain cells. If this can be reproduced in humans, then it would show a dramatic improvement in their symptoms and if not cure their Parkinsons disease, it would assist in controlling it effectively.

There are some thoughts that environmental and genetic factors play a significant role in the development of Parkinsons disease. One of the most significant pieces of research that is being conducted is actually looking at these factors and trying to discover the trigger that sets off Parkinson's disease in a particular person. It can be argued that if these triggers are discovered, it would be a major step in not only being able to find a cure for Parkinson's disease, but doctors would ultimately be able to discover who is at risk of contracting the disease and ultimately ensure preventative measures are used. Only time will tell.