In a key breakthrough, British scientists have developed what they claim is a single jab of genes which can substantially reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s disease when injected directly into the brain. Parkinson’s disease’s symptoms include tremors and stiffness. It’s caused by death of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine which is essential for coordination. Treatments include a drug called L-dopa, which boosts dopamine but can cause muscle problems.
“Now, a team at Oxford BioMedica firm has developed the new injection which contains three genes which are key to the manufacture of dopamine. Injected into the brain under anaesthetic it sets up a replacement dopamine “factory”, the Daily Mail reported. Just one jab may be enough to treat the disease for life, say the scientists who have based their findings on an analysis of an experiment on dementia patients. In their experiment, the scientists gave nine patients the injection. The findings revealed that there was an average reduction in shaking and stiffness of nearly 43 per cent in all the subjects. The treatment improved walking and dexterity by up to 61 per cent in one patient. Others were able to take the bus or complete a round of golf for the first time in years; there were no serious side-effects, the findings revealed.
However, more trials are planned, and the drug is at least six years away from sale, say the scientists who presented their findings at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s conference.
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Beatrice hat sold on eBay for £81,100
AGE CORRESPONDENT
London
The Philip Treacy-designed hat worn by Princess Beatrice, the 22-year-old granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was on Sunday night auctioned on eBay for £81,100.01
Beatrice, who wore the bow-detailed headpiece to her cousin William’s wedding to Kate Middleton on April 29, faced a lot of criticism for her choice of hat, which was alternatively described in the media and networking websites as a Turkey Twizzler, a lavatory seat, a cattery, and a pretzel. The hat was panned so much that it has multiple Facebook pages dedicated to it, with one getting 150,000 people “liking it”