Protein implicated in Parkinson's disease. (Biomedicine).The protein cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) appears in high concentrations in parts of the brain ravaged rav·age v. rav·aged, rav·ag·ing, rav·ages v.tr. 1. To bring heavy destruction on; devastate: A tornado ravaged the town. 2. by Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease or Parkinsonism, degenerative brain disorder first described by the English surgeon James Parkinson in 1817. When there is no known cause, the disease usually appears after age 40 and is referred to as Parkinson's disease. , a new study shows, suggesting that this molecule plays a role in the disease. Scientists made the finding, which appears in the April 29 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences. , by studying the brains of deceased Parkinson's patients. The researchers also found that a COX-2-inhibiting drug preserves brain cells in live mice that have a version of Parkinson's disease. Taken together, the findings suggest that COX-2 inhibitors Cox-2 Inhibitors Definition Cox-2 inhibitors are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which selectively inhibit cyclooxygenase-2. The cyclooxygenases are required for the creation of prostaglandins. should be tested on Parkinson's patients immediately, says study coauthor Serge Przedborski, a neurologist at Columbia University. COX-2 inhibitors, such as the arthritis drug celecoxib (Celebrex), are already among the largest-selling anti-inflammatory agents on the market. However, the new research suggests that the drugs might not slow Parkinson's by stopping inflammation, Przedborski says. Rather, the drugs stop COX-2 from converting dopamine--a major neurotransmitter neurotransmitter, chemical that transmits information across the junction (synapse) that separates one nerve cell (neuron) from another nerve cell or a muscle. Neurotransmitters are stored in the nerve cell's bulbous end (axon). that's in short supply in Parkinson's patients--to a toxic form suspected of playing a role in killing brain cells, he says.--N.S. |
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