"This is exactly
the sort of opportunity we must explore"
Dr Kieran
Breen, Director of Research and Development
The discovery that started it all
In an exciting research project, Professor
Peter Jenner and his team at King's College London have recently
discovered a naturally occuring protective protein in
dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain. Osteopontin (OPN) can
interfere with the destruction of nerve cells that occurs in
Parkinson's disease. This finding may mean that we can one day
treat the causes of Parkinson's rather than just the symptoms.
A natural way to fight Parkinson's
Professor Jenner's exciting research may be
able to move us closer to an understanding of Parkinson’s, but we
don't yet know whether a deficiency of OPN plays a major role in
Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative conditions.
The great thing about OPN is that it empowers
the brain to heal itself, avoiding the debilitating side effects
that come from synthetic drugs. Ultimately with a better
understanding of OPN, we may be able to intervene at an earlier
stage of nerve cell death and stop people developing
Parkinson's.
This is just one of the many
long-term projects currently funded by the PDS, dedicated
to stopping the progression. And that's why we are
launching the next step - a new initiative to
support our ongoing research programme.
By taking
the next step
with us, you can help us to be prepared for the
exciting opportunities ahead.
Your commitment to a monthly gift of £5 or an annual donation of
£60 will give us the financial security to channel even more funds
into research, and help make a vital difference to the lives of
people with Parkinson's.
Please help us
take the next step by completing
the Direct Debit
form or by calling
01753 688687
 For 39 years the PDS has been driving
research forward
In 2003 we were investing £1.7million in
top class research, and by 2007 this had grown to £4.2million. With
your help we want to increase this even further to ensure that we
take advantage of every opportunity.
Find out more on current research
funded by the PDS
Read more on our research
achievements
The PDS is a membership organisation but supports all people
with Parkinson's.
You can find out more about our membership scheme and
benefits in our Join Us
pages
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