Rush University Medical Center is participating in a large-scale, multi-center clinical trial in the U.S. and Canada to determine whether a vitamin-like substance, in high doses, can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects about one million people in the United States. "At present, the very best therapies we have for Parkinson's can only mask the symptoms - they do not alter the underlying disease," said neurologist Dr. Katie Kompoliti, a specialist in movement disorders. "Finding a treatment that can slow the degenerative course of Parkinsons's is the holy grail of Parkinson's research." The substance being tested, called coenzyme Q10, is produced naturally in the body and is an important link in the chain of chemical reactions that produce energy in mitochondria, the "powerhouses" of cells.
Read article at physorg.com
Comment: Research has shown that Parkinson's patients have impaired mitochondrial function and low levels of coenzyme Q10 and, moreover, that the vitamin-like substance can protect the area of the brain damaged in Parkinson's.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
More about coenzyme Q10: can taking it in high doses slow down the progression of Parkinson's disease?
Posted by Willow at 9:04 pm
Labels: co-enzyme Q10, Dr. Katie Kompoliti, Parkinson's disease
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