Marmosets and research into Parkinson's Disease

Geoff Butcher has Parkinson's disease. Here we hear him interview a scientist who uses Marmosets as an animal model to investigate Parkinson's disease. The scientist does this by using a chemical called MPTP to destroy the substantia nigra in the Marmosets. This is the part of the brain that is associated with the fine control of movement. It is damage to the substantia nigra that caused the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

The discovery of MPTP was an accident. Drug-users took contaminated material and developed Parkinsonian-like symptoms. This led to the unravelling of a medical mystery described in The Case of The Frozen Addicts reviewed here:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[PhobiaBrixia]

it's L-dopa, not L-dopo, subtitles error.

[EThybrid]

In my opinion, child rapers should be used as Parkinson's disease models.

[Stop UBC Animal Research]

Leading scientists concur that animals can only be afflicted with parkinsonism, not the actual human disease. The one truly effective treatment for Parkinson's disease - Deep Brain Stimulation - was developed by a clinician - animal research had nothing to do with its discovery. How sad for actual human sufferers that so much funding is focused on developing different animal models of the disease while promising, human-based approaches are underfunded.

[jeeimu]

Excellent video! It's important to get the word out about the continuing benefits of animal research.