Mice May Hold Key To Parkinson’s Disease
Released
on: July 1, 2009, 4:34 am
Author: Arbor Books
Industry: Healthcare
(Springfield,
GA)—Recently, scientists at the Weill Cornell Medical School
were able to recreate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
in mice, leading some to believe that a breakthrough in treating
the ailment could be just around the corner.
According
to a study in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the research involved
creating an animal model of Parkinson’s in mice so that
scientists can focus on preventing the progression of the disease
rather than just on treating its symptoms.
“This
research is a huge step for the Parkinson’s community,”
says Kay Mixson Jenkins, author of Who Is Pee Dee? Explaining
Parkinson’s Disease to a Child. “With efforts like
these, Parkinson’s patients have hope that funding and time
are going into meaningful steps towards an eventual cure.”
Ms.
Jenkins, founder of the non-profit Parkinson’s in the Park,
was diagnosed with the disease when she was just thirty-four.
She wrote Who Is Pee Dee? for kids who may be asking, “What
is Parkinson’s disease?” or, “What are Parkinson’s
disease symptoms?”
The
book follows a young boy named Colt as he tries to deal with his
mother’s illness. It’s the kind of story Ms. Jenkins
hopes will be made obsolete by the research being done with mice
at Weill Cornell.
“I
hope that researchers continue to get funding both private and
public,” says Ms. Jenkins, whose book includes a discussion
of some of the following symptoms:
• The constant fatigue created by the struggle to control
body movement.
• The loss of coordination when doing even simple tasks
• The anger and resentment that can come from feeling overwhelmed
For more information, contact the author directly via kmj@ParkinsonsInThePark.org.
(Who Is Pee Dee? Explaining Parkinson’s Disease to a Child
by Kay Mixson Jenkins; illustrated by Richard Morgan; ISBN: 978-0-9819129-0-5;
$12.95; 33 pages; 8” x 8”; hardcover; UCB, Inc.)
Contact Details:
UCB, INC.
1950 Lake Park Dr., Smyrna, GA 30080
Contact: Kay Mixson Jenkins
Phone: 912-655-5293
E-mail: kmj@ParkinsonsInThePark.org
Websites: www.WhoIsPeeDee.com,
www.ParkinsonsInThePark.org
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