brain tubes

There’s a lot of talk this week about the Parkinson’s Disease trial in the UK involving a surgery that implanted tubes in patients’ heads (behind the ear) that could be used post-surgery to deliver GDNF (Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor) to the brain. The hope was that this would regenerate dying dopamine brain cells in patients with Parkinson's and reverse their condition. Technically, the study failed to meet its goals. But the press release that came out of the study is a bit more enthusiastic, titled  “New Treatment Offers Potentially Promising Results for the Possibility of Slowing, Stopping, or ...