‘Just because you have Parkinson’s, it doesn’t have you.’ One woman’s guide to life

February 1, 2018- BY DEBBIE COCKRELL

When another patient says, ‘I know how hard it is to get out, but it’s still worth it,’ maybe that can spark changes in lifestyle.”

Jill Ater doesn’t have time to get down about Parkinson’s disease.

Diagnosed in 2005 at age 42, today she’s the Northwest ambassador for the nonprofit Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s and will lead local workshops this month to inspire others.

“Our work is on getting people to move and live life every day,” she told The News Tribune in a recent phone interview. “Everyone's victory is different, and we encourage people to have a victory every day.

“When another patient says, ‘I know how hard it is to get out, but it’s still worth it,’ maybe that can spark changes in lifestyle.”

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

Pierce County’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, along with the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s, will offer free sessions in February on “Living and Thriving with Parkinson’s.” 

Ater, who’s lived in Tacoma for the past year and a half, will be the presenter for the sessions.

The sessions may prove timely amid recent headlines, since another high-profile celebrity recently announced his own diagnosis.

In January, Neil Diamond, 77, canceled the Australian/New Zealand portion of his 50th anniversary tour and announced his retirement after revealing his own Parkinson’s diagnosis.

“That was so sad,” Ater remarked, recounting other famous names tied to the disease: former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, actor Michael J. Fox, former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, singer Linda Rondstadt.

For her, the mission of hope continues for anyone, not just famous people dealing with the diagnosis. 

“The big thing I want people to know is there is hope. Just because you have Parkinson’s, it doesn't have you,” Ater said. 

She said that at one time she was taking 28 pills a day and is now down to three after having deep brain stimulation surgery March 2013 and July 2014. 

The treatment is used to address symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, slowed motion and walking problems.

“It totally changed my life,” she said.

Among other projects, she’d like to produce a blog with travel tips and more about her life to inspire others. Currently, she’s on Instagram and Facebook.

“Parkinson’s is not going to keep me home. Travel is really important. I’ve been to 48 countries and lived overseas,” she said.

She is serious about future travel and her goals are set: “In the fall of 2019, once our younger son is off to college, we are selling everything, getting down to three bags, taking the dog and heading out to see the world.” 

Debbie Cockrell: 253-597-8364, @Debbie_Cockrell

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

LIVING AND THRIVING WITH PARKINSON’S

▪ Feb. 6: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sumner Branch Library, 1116 Fryar Ave. in Sumner.

▪ Feb. 10: 10 to 11 a.m. Pierce County Sound View Building, 3602 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma.

▪ Feb. 14: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. University Place Branch Library, 3609 Market Place W. in University Place.

For more information, call 253-798-4600. To check closer to the date on possible weather postponement call 253-798-8787. 

According to statistics from Pierce County’s Aging and Disability Resource Center:

▪ Average age for disease onset is 60 years old, but those younger than 40 also can face a diagnosis. 

▪ Parkinson's patients spend $12,000 to $17,000 a year out of pocket, according to the center, with 80 percent of patients on Medicare. 

▪ One person in 20 over the age of 80 has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Pierce County’s Aging and Disability Resource Center

The wires just under Jill Ater’s scalp as part of deep brain stimulation. Ater will lead a series of local workshops: “Living and Thriving with Parkinson’s.” Jill Ater 

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

To see video:
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197715074.html

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article197725829.html#storylink=cpy

Free exercise class for those with Parkinson’s, neurological issues

• By Deanna Kirk Daily Sun
 February 1, 2018

Chances are, if you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, or have a Traumatic Brain Injury or other neurological issue, finding an exercise class is not top of your priority list.

But, exercise is one thing that has been proven to combat problems with rigidity (muscle stiffness), poor balance, unusual gait, and slow movements (bradykinesia) in patients suffering from one or more of these issues.

Enter Cedar Lake Home Health and Hospice, who is offering a free Foundations Class to anyone suffering from these issues, and will now offer it in Corsicana. It is the only class of its kind currently offered by a home health agency in the state of Texas.

“My class in Gun Barrel City is an awesome class, said Certified Instructor Caren Anthony. “Until Monday, it is the only class I’ve had.”

Anthony was trained by the GZ Sobol Parkinson’s Network, founded by Parkinson’s patient Gary Sobol. The network was established in 2013, with a goal of improving quality of life for people with Parkinson’s, and the 501 non-profit envisions every Parkinson’s patient having access to their group exercise class.

More classes will be added to the Gun Barrel City class, with the first class taking place at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the Senior Activity Center, 919 W. Park Ave.

“If you can’t get up and down from a chair by yourself, then I can help you,” Anthony said. “We have had people coming in a wheelchair, then a few months later advancing to a walker, then to a cane, and I have one now who is dancing around the room!”

She said music was added to the program a few weeks ago and the difference it’s made just adding music is amazing. But, Anthony points out that along with the moves in the class being helpful for patients and their muscles and coordination, it also provides a social setting that is comfortable. She has seen social lives increase by the newfound confidence her people have gained by helping their tremors, or by simply gaining more confidence in themselves.

“With Parkinson’s, you have shuffle foot, tremors, all kinds of things,” she said. “We do fun stuff, like hula hoops. Most of the time, the ones diagnosed with Parkinson’s are men. Women seem to get dementia and Alzheimers before men do.”

In addition to starting new classes in Corsicana, Anthony will begin a class in Athens and Waxahachie. All classes are free.

“The new classes will start at a beginner level,” Anthony said. “They won’t be as advanced as we are in Gun Barrel ... Gary Sobol has to fly down and certify you. Sobol has Parkinson’s, and he designed the entire program so that Parkinson’s would not beat him.”

Anthony said so far the oldest person she’s had in a class was 91, and it is extremely beneficial for gait and balance. Her Gun Barrel class, when everyone is present, has 42 members.

For more information, visit Cedar Lake Home Health and Hospice Facebook page. And for more information about GZ Sobol Parkinson’s Network, visit that Facebook page or the website at www.parkinsonsnetwork.org.

“We are adding some dance steps next week, and planning a Parkinson’s Palooza,” she said. “We are always having a party of some kind. It’s really neat and lots of fun.”

http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/free-exercise-class-for-those-with-parkinson-s-neurological-issues/article_e03897f2-06e9-11e8-a354-dfb13de12e3b.html

Neil Diamond Gives Up Touring After Being Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease

FEBRUARY 1, 2018   BY SAMANTHA SPEISMAN

Last week, one of the biggest names in music announced his retirement. Neil Diamond’s team held a press conference to share that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and would be cancelling his remaining tour dates in New Zealand and Australia.

According to CBS News, a spokesperson for the star said, “the onset of the disease has made it difficult to travel and perform on a large scale basis.” Obviously Diamond was quite disappointed with his doctor’s advice, saying he made the decision with “great reluctance and disappointment” and that he’d “remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come.”

Neil Diamond began his career more than 50 years ago, writing songs for other artists. His first hit as a songwriter was “Sunday and Me,” a top 20 hit for Jay and the Americans, followed by several big songs that he wrote for The Monkees. Diamond didn’t have a hit as a solo artist until 1966, when he released “Solitary Man.”

Since then, Diamond’s sold more than 135 million albums, making him one of the bestselling artists of all time.

###

Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/02/01/neil-diamong-diagnosed-parkinsons-disease/

NIH Creates Huge Public-Private Partnership to Try to Speed Parkinson’s Therapy Development

FEBRUARY 1, 2018   BY PATRICIA INACIO, PHD

The U.S. National Institutes of Health is starting a pioneering, multi-pronged public-private partnership program to try to accelerate the development of Parkinson’s treatments.

What makes it special is how big it is. The NIH-led collaboration includes government, pharmaceutical companies, life science companies and non-profit organizations. The partners are calling the collaboration AMP PD — for Accelerating Medicines Partnership in Parkinson’s Disease.

The initial focus will be identifying biomarkers of Parkinson’s progression and assessing their potential as targets for therapies.

“Advancing treatments for Parkinson’s disease is hampered by insufficient understanding of biological networks,” NIH Director Francis S. Collins said in a press release. “Drugs aimed at seemingly promising therapeutic targets fail in clinical trials.”

“By combining our expertise and resources,” the partners “hope to increase our collective odds of success in accelerating the development of effective treatments for a million Americans who suffer from this debilitating disease,” he added.

Although scientists have been doing a lot of Parkinson’s research and conducting a number of clinical trials of potential therapies, regulators have yet to approve a drug that can modify the course of the disease.

Partners in the new collaboration include some of the best-known players in Parkinson’s work:  Celgene, GlaxoSmithKline, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Verily.

The partners will chip in on the program’s financing to generate $12 million over five years. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health will manage the program.

“The expansion of AMP [the Accelerating Medicines Partnership] into Parkinson’s disease is a testament to the success of this groundbreaking initiative that is radically changing the way we approach early-stage drug development,” said Maria C. Freire, president and executive director of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The foundation “is proud to play a role in this partnership by harnessing the collective capabilities and resources from the public and private sectors with the aim of advancing biomedical research and ultimately improving health,” she said.

The NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke expects to match the private-sector investment — and add $12 million if funds are available. The U.S. food and Drug Administration will also be a key partner, providing regulatory guidance for drug development.

One of the program’s major benefits is that all data and findings will be shared not only among the partners but also with the entire research community.

Verily is developing an AMP PD Knowledge Portal to facilitate the sharing. The portal will give researchers access to data from studies that covered more than 3,000 Parkinson’s patients and 1,700 healthy controls.

They can use the data to try to identify which biomarkers work best at predicting Parkinson’s progression and patients’ outcomes. The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke funded the studies.

The portal should lead to an unprecedented amount of genetic analyses that the partners would be unable to conduct alone, the collaborators said.

“There is a wealth of biosamples and data already collected by NIH and MJFF [the Fox foundation] from people with Parkinson’s disease,” said Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “Sharing resources from public-private partnerships to generate and analyze ‘big data’ made available through AMP may be our greatest opportunity for accelerating the pace of discovery for translation [of research] into more effective treatments” for Parkinson’s, he said.

“The AMP PD Knowledge Portal will provide data storage, pipelines and visualization tools that could enable unique opportunities for data science solutions for human disease modeling and for the identification of the underlying biology related to PD [Parkinson’s disease] pathogenesis,” said Margaret Sutherland, the program director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and co-chair of the AMP PD partnership steering committee.

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/02/01/huge-public-private-partnership-formed-to-try-speed-up-parkinsons-therapy-development/

Coffee mornings to support Parkinson’s

01 February 2018

A SERIES of coffee mornings will be taking place to support those who are fighting Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s UK is inviting people with the disease to coffee mornings on the fourth Thursday of every month. 

The Parkinson’s café meets at The Horizon Centre in Waterberry Driver, Waterlooville, from 10.30am-11.30am.

Local development manager at Parkinson’s UK Sally Wood said: ‘These coffee mornings offer information, friendship and support to local people with Parkinson’s, their families and carers to make sure that no one has to face Parkinson’s alone.’

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/health/coffee-mornings-to-support-parkinson-s-1-8359210

Researchers explore new biomarkers for early detection of Parkinson’s from speech

January 31, 2018

The study of new non-invasive biomarkers able to identify the Parkinson's disease from the speech of patients is the joint work carried out by researchers from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University.

Researchers who have a background in voice and speech technologies from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) are working together to design new biomarkers based on digital signal processing and machine learning for a differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

The previous works, which have been recently published in PLOS ONE journal and Applied Soft Computing journal, open the door to the development of automatic screening systems and objective evaluation of the disease what it would have a great social and economic impact.

The average time to obtain a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is 2.9 years and is essentially based on the clinical suspicion. The diagnostic accuracy varies considerably according to the duration of the disease, age, medical expertise, and evolution. The uncertainty in the diagnosis, along with the degeneration caused before starting any treatment, has an obvious impact on the quality of life of patients.

Juan Ignacio Godino, a UPM researcher, says, "the early detection of Parkinson along with the anticipation of the start of treatment would have a relevant effect on both the quality of life of patients and the healthcare system. This would allow us to develop new therapies and better understand the disease and its evolution".

Although robust and non-invasive early markers are not yet available, the literature has identified for decades that voice and speech are affected on the presymptomatic stages of the disease. These findings have not yet been exploited to develop reliable automatic systems for differential diagnosis and screening.

To this end, researchers from diverse centers from diverse institutions: Bioengineering and Optoelectronics Lab (UPM), Research Laboratory of Electronics (MIT) y el Center for Language and Speech Processing  (JHU) are developing biomarkers based on digital signal processing and machine learning that allow an early detection, characterization, and monitoring of diverse types of neurological disorders revealed through voice, especially in Parkinson.

This study shows that the speech is a carrier of information relevant to the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and that the extraction of interest features can be easily automated by assessing the different aspects related to the voice cinematic. Results give evidence that diagnostic reliability is similar to the current studies based on clinical suspicion.

This work is part of a research line that is still ongoing and requires the collaboration of citizens. The profiles are people aged between 45 and 90 who neither suffer from Parkinson's disease nor have family history of this disease. Anyone interested in this study can fill out a contact form and the researchers responsible for the project will contact them back.

Source:

http://www.upm.es/internacional/UPM/UPM_Channel/Research_News?id=26019d28a6b41610VgnVCM10000009c7648a____&fmt=detail&prefmt=articulo

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180131/Researchers-explore-new-biomarkers-for-early-detection-of-Parkinsone28099s-from-speech.aspx

Study in mice identifies the molecular machinery responsible for dopamine release in the brain

February 1, 2018, Harvard Medical School

Super-resolution microscopy reveals the presence of active release sites (green) on dopamine neurons (purple). Credit: Kaeser lab

Studied for decades for its critical role in movement control and reward-seeking behaviors, the neurotransmitter dopamine has been the focus of numerous efforts to understand its activity, particularly when it goes awry in disorders such as Parkinson's and addiction.

While researchers have made great strides, less is known about the mechanisms that healthy dopamine cells use to release the neurotransmitter, a gap that has limited scientists' ability to develop treatments for a range of dopamine-related conditions.

Now, researchers from Harvard Medical School have for the first time identified the molecular machinery responsible for the precise secretion of dopamine in the brain.

Their work, published online in Cell on Feb. 1, identifies specialized sites in dopamine-producing neurons that release the dopamine in a fast, spatially precise manner—a finding that runs counter to current models of how the neurotransmitter transmits signals in the brain.

"The dopamine system plays an essential role in many diseases, but fewer studies have asked the fundamental question of how healthy dopamine neurons release the neurotransmitter," said senior study author Pascal Kaeser, assistant professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.

"If your car breaks down and you want it fixed, you want your mechanic to know how a car works," he added. "Similarly, a better understanding of dopamine in the laboratory could have a tremendous impact on the ability to treat disorders in which dopamine signaling goes awry in the long term."

In the brain, roughly 0.01 percent of neurons are responsible for dopamine production, but they control a broad and diverse range of brain processes, including motor control, the reward system, learning and memory.

Dopamine research has centered on its dysfunction and on the protein receptors that neurons use to receive dopamine, said Kaeser. Despite the neurotransmitter's importance, studies on how it is released in the brain under normal circumstances have been limited, he added.

Promiscuous No More

To identify the molecular machinery responsible for dopamine secretion, Kaeser and his colleagues focused on dopamine-producing neurons in the midbrain, which are involved in the neural circuitry underlying movement and reward seeking.

They first searched for active zones—specialized neurotransmitter release sites located at synapses, the junctions that connect one neuron to the another. Using super-resolution microscopy to image sections of the brain into which dopamine neurons project, the team found that dopamine neurons contained proteins that mark the presence of active zones.

These zones indicate that a neuron may engage in fast synaptic transmission, in which a neurotransmitter signal is precisely transferred from one neuron to another within milliseconds.

This was the first evidence of fast active zones in dopamine neurons, which were previously thought to engage in only so-called volume transmission—a process in which the neurotransmitter signals slowly and nonspecifically across relatively large areas of the brain.

Active zones were found at lower densities in dopamine neurons than in other neurons, and additional experiments revealed in detail how the neurotransmitter is rapidly secreted and reabsorbed at these sites.

"I think that our findings will change how we think about dopamine," Kaeser said. "Our data suggest that dopamine is released in very specific locations, with incredible spatial precision and speed, whereas before it was thought that dopamine was slowly and promiscuously secreted."

In another set of experiments, the researchers used genetic tools to delete several active zone proteins. Deleting one specific protein, RIM, was sufficient to almost entirely abolish dopamine secretion in mice. RIM has been implicated in a range of diseases including neuropsychiatric and developmental disorders.

Deleting another active zone protein, however, had little or no effect on dopamine release, suggesting that dopamine secretion relies on unique specialized machinery, the authors said.

"Our study indicates that dopamine signaling is much more organized than previously thought," said study first author Changliang Liu, an Alice and Joseph Brooks Postdoctoral Fellow and a Gordon Fellow in the Kaeser lab.

"We showed that active zones and RIM, which is associated with diseases such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders in human genetic studies, are key for dopamine signaling," Liu said. "These newly identified mechanisms may be related to these disorders and may lead to new therapeutic strategies in the future."

The team is now working to investigate these active zones in greater detail to build a deeper understanding of their role in dopamine signaling and how to manipulate them.

"We are deeply invested in learning the entire dopamine signaling machine. Right now, most treatments supply the brain with dopamine in excess, which comes with many side effects because it activates processes that shouldn't be active," Kaeser said.

"Our long-term hope is to identify proteins that only mediate dopamine secretion," he said. "One can imagine that by manipulating the release of dopamine, we may be better able to reconstruct normal signaling in the brain."

Journal reference: Cell 

Provided by: Harvard Medical School 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-mice-molecular-machinery-responsible-dopamine.html

Suven acquires 2 product patents each from African organization and South Korea

January 31, 2018


Suven Life Science achieved patents for the treatment of disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases

Suven Life Science is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel pharmaceutical products, which are first in class or best in class CNS therapies using GPCR targets.

The company has secured a product patent each from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (Aripo) and South Korea corresponding to new chemical entities (NCEs) for the treatment of disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

The two patents are valid through 2033 and 2034, respectively.

The granted claims of the patents include the class of selective 5-HT4 and 5-HT6 compounds respectively and are being developed as therapeutic agents for major depressive disorders and are useful in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Huntington’s disease, Narcolepsy, Parkinson.

The Company has 9 internally-discovered therapeutic drug candidates, currently in various stages of pre-clinical development targeting ADHD, dementia, depression, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and pain.

https://www.biospectrumindia.com/news/22/10294/suven-acquires-2-product-patents-each-from-african-organization-and-south-korea.html

Herbicide Paraquat Again Linked Parkinson's Symptoms in Brain

February 1, 2018

(Beyond Pesticides, February 1, 2018) Scientists at the European Institutefor the Biology of Aging are finding new information about how Parkinson’s disease manifests itself after exposure to the herbicide paraquat, in hopes of finding ways to prevent the progression of the disease. Despite a well-established body of scientific literature linking the paraquat to Parkinson’s, and a ban on the use of the chemical in the European Union that dates back to 2007, its use is still permitted in the U.S. Many health groups, including Beyond Pesticides and organizations like the Michael J Fox Foundation are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stop the use of paraquat by denying its upcoming reregistration.

Published in the journal Cell Reports, this new research on Parkinson’s investigates the impact of “senescent” cells in the body. Senescent cells are those which, despite being able to divide, stop doing so in response to stress. This is an anti-cancer mechanism, as stress would otherwise cause the cells to multiply unchecked and create malignancies. Researchers suspected that despite the benefit of stopping cancer, senescent cells may be causing other problems in the body. Rather than dying, these cells can cause inflammation in the area around where the cell became senescent.  Scientists focused in on one particular type of senescent cell, the astrocyte, which are essentially cells that send and receive neurons in the brain. It was hypothesized that senescent astrocytes could be causing localized inflammation that harms the neurons associated Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is characterized by the death of neurons associated with dopamine production. While paraquat has long been associated with the direct death of these neurons, this new research shows that additional neurological impacts may be at play.

Scientists carried out different investigations to test the impact of senescent astrocytes on the development of Parkinson’s. First, they compared human brain tissue between Parkinson’s patients and those without the disease. Compared to those that never contracted Parkinson’s, individuals with the disease showed biomarkers associated with higher levels of senesced astrocytes. Researchers then looked at whether paraquat could cause senescence in a lab-cultured human astrocyte. Not only did paraquat stop astrocyte cell proliferation, it did better at inducing senescence than hydrogen peroxide and other traditional medical methods of inducing astrocyte senescence. Scientists found that, in line with epidemiological data that shows greater risk for Parkinson’s from chronic, low dose exposure than acute, one-time exposure, exposing the cultured astrocytes to paraquat for a longer time at a lower dose resulted in a greater number of senesced cells.

A final test was conducted on laboratory mice. After exposing mice to levels of paraquat indicated in the literature to result in Parkinson’s disease symptoms, results traced a very similar response to the human astrocyte cell culture. Senescent astrocytes increased after paraquat exposure, and mice displayed increased difficulties in movement and motor function. However, when researchers used a drug to flush senescent cells from the substantia nigra, the area of the brain where domapine-producing cells are located, the Parkinson’s-like symptoms of paraquat exposure subsided. “They are almost indistinguishable from the healthy mice,” said Marco Demaria, PhD, to The Guardian.

“As far as we know, this is the first time it’s been demonstrated in any neurodegeneration model that ablating [removing] senescent cells actually has an effect on disease progression,” said study co-author Julie Anderson, PhD to The Scientist. However, Dr. Anderson also noted to TheScientist that, “right now, we don’t know specifically what it is about paraquat that is inducing the senescence within the astrocytes.”

This complex study provides a route to potentially treat not only Parkinson’s but other diseases where senescent cells may play a role, such as ALS and Alzheimer’s. Future research will need to uncover how to flush out specific senescent cells while leaving others, which may be valuable in other areas, such as healing wounds, alone. “We know the cells we want to target, but at the moment we don’t have the therapeutics to do that,” said Dr. Demaria to The Guardian. “We cannot yet only target the bad cells.”

While the treatment developed by researchers in this study is promising, a better approach to reducing and eliminating the spread of pesticide-related diseases is to simply take the chemical off the market. Any products linked to devastating diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s have no place in our environment. While paraquat’s use is restricted to certified applicators in the U.S., it can still be applied to agricultural land. Despite a ban on the chemical in Europe and a planned phase-out of use in China, over seven million lbs of paraquat were applied to 15 million acres of American farmland in 2015.

Support efforts to ban the continued use of paraquat. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing safety concerns about the chemical, but without public involvement, the agency’s decision could be similar to its continued allowance of another neurotoxic pesticide – chlorpyrifos. Keep up to date with Beyond Pesticides’ action alerts for updates, and for more information on the link between pesticides and Parkinson’s, see the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database section on Parkinson’s disease.

All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.

Source: The Guardian, The Scientist, Cell Reports

https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2018/02/herbicide-paraquat-linked-parkinsons-symptoms-brain/ 

Facts About Paraquat

Center For Disease Control and Prevention

What paraquat is 

• Paraquat is a toxic chemical that is widely used as an herbicide (plant killer), primarily for weed and grass control. 
• In the United States, paraquat is available primarily as a liquid in various strengths. The US Environmental Protection Agency classifies paraquat as “restricted use.” This means that it can be used only by people who are licensed applicators. 
• Because paraquat is highly poisonous, the form that is marketed in the United States has a blue dye to keep it from being confused with beverages such as coffee, a sharp odor to serve as a warning, and an added agent to cause vomiting if someone drinks it. Paraquat from outside the United States may not have these safeguards added. 

Where paraquat is found and how it is used 

• Paraquat was first produced for commercial purposes in 1961. 
• Worldwide, paraquat is still one of the most commonly used herbicides. 
• In the United States, due to its toxicity, paraquat is available for use only by commercially licensed users. 

How you could be exposed to paraquat 

• Paraquat is not known to have been used in any terrorist attacks or wars. 
• The most likely route of exposure to paraquat that would lead to poisoning is ingestion (swallowing). 
• Paraquat can be mixed easily with food, water, or other beverages. If the form of paraquat that is used does not contain the safeguard additives (dye, odor, and vomiting agent), people might not know that the food, water, or other beverages are contaminated. Eating or drinking paraquat-contaminated food or beverages could poison people. 
• Paraquat poisoning is also possible after skin exposure. Poisoning is more likely to occur if the skin exposure lasts for a long time, involves a concentrated version of paraquat, or occurs through skin that is not intact (skin that has sores, cuts, or a severe rash). 
• If it is inhaled, paraquat could cause poisoning leading to lung damage. In the past, some marijuana in the United States has been found to contain paraquat. 
• Licensed applicators of paraquat are the people most at risk for exposure. 

How paraquat works 

• The extent of poisoning caused by paraquat depends on the amount, route, and duration of exposure and the person’s health condition at the time of the exposure. 
• Paraquat causes direct damage when it comes into contact with the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. 
• After paraquat enters the body, it is distributed to all areas of the body. Paraquat causes toxic chemical reactions to occur throughout many parts of the body, primarily the lungs, liver, and kidneys. 
• Cells in the lung selectively accumulate paraquat likely by active transport. 

Immediate signs and symptoms of paraquat exposure 

• After a person ingests a large amount of paraquat, he or she is immediately likely to have pain and swelling of the mouth and throat. The next signs of illness following ingestion are gastrointestinal (digestive tract) symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea (which may become bloody). 
• Severe gastrointestinal symptoms may result in dehydration (not enough fluids in the body), electrolyte abnormalities (not enough sodium and potassium in the body), and low blood pressure. 
• Ingestion of small to medium amounts of paraquat may lead to development of the following adverse health effects within several days to several weeks: 
  • Heart failure 
  • Kidney failure 
  • Liver failure 
  • Lung scarring 
• In general, ingestion of large amounts of paraquat leads to the following signs/symptoms within a few hours to a few days: 
  • Acute Kidney failure 
  • Confusion 
  • Coma 
  • Fast heart rate 
  • Injury to the heart 
  • Liver failure 
  • Lung scarring (evolves more quickly than when small to medium amounts have been ingested) 
  • Muscle weakness 
  • Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) 
  • Respiratory (breathing) failure, possibly leading to death 
  • Seizures 
• Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to paraquat. 

Long-term health effects 

• If a person survives the toxic effects of paraquat poisoning, long-term lung damage (scarring) is highly likely. Other long-term effects may also occur, including kidney failure, heart failure, and esophageal strictures (scarring of the swallowing tube that makes it hard for a person to swallow). 
• People with large ingestions of paraquat are not likely to survive. 

How you can protect yourself, and what you should do if you are exposed to paraquat 

• Because ingestion is likely to be the primary route of exposure, if poisoning is suspected, avoid any further ingestion and seek medical attention immediately. 
• Pre-hospital therapy may include oral administration of activated charcoal or Fuller’s earth in order to bind ingested paraquat. 
• If you think you may have been exposed to liquid paraquat on your clothes or body, remove your clothing, rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical care as quickly as possible. 
  • Removing your clothing:
    • Quickly take off clothing that has liquid paraquat on it. Any clothing that has to be pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead of pulled over the head. 
    • If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible. 
  • Washing yourself:
    • As quickly as possible, wash any liquid paraquat from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect people from any chemicals on their bodies. 
    • If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts). If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them. 
  • Disposing of your clothes:
    • After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can't avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren't sure where the contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves or put the clothing in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too. 
    • Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from any chemicals that might be on your clothes. 
    • When the local or state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself. 
• For more information about cleaning your body and disposing of your clothes after a chemical release, see “Chemical Agents: Facts About Personal Cleaning and Disposal of Contaminated Clothing”. 

How paraquat exposure is treated in the hospital 

Initial therapy consists of removing the paraquat from the body (decontamination) and preventing further absorption for oral exposures by using activated charcoal or Fuller’s earth. Nasogastric suction may be considered for ingestions that present within 1 hour. Supportive care measures such as intravenous fluids (fluids given through a needle inserted directly into a vein), medications to help with breathing and to raise low blood pressure, a ventilator to support breathing, and possibly dialysis for kidney failure should be provided. Administration of excessive oxygen should be avoided because it may worsen paraquat toxicity. No proven antidote or cure exists for paraquat poisoning. 

How you can get more information about paraquat 

You can contact one of the following: 

• Regional poison control center: 1-800-222-1222 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
  • Public Response Hotline (CDC) 
    • 800-CDC-INFO 
    • 888-232-6348 (TTY) 
  • E-mail inquiries: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.

https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/paraquat/basics/facts.asp