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Introduction to Parkinson’s Disease

Disease Name: Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

Risk Increase/Decrease Factors:

Increase:

Gender

Studies have found that men are more likely to get Parkinson’s disease over women. The reasons behind this are not exactly definite, but it is thought that the reason men are more likely of getting it is that the estrogen in women has a protective effect against the disease.

Age

As your age increases you develop a higher risk of getting Parkinson’s.

Ethnicity

Other research has found that Parkinson’s is a more prevalent risk for Caucasian ethnicities rather than in people of African or Asian descent. There is an estimate that the risk of Parkinson’s is 50% lower in non-Caucasian ethnicities.

Genetics

About 15% of people who suffer from Parkinson's disease have gotten it due to genetics or having past relatives with the disease as well.

Environmental Factors

Studies have shown that exposure to environmental factors such as pesticides can be possible causes of neurological conditions including Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s as well.

Decrease:

Consolidating Omega-3 Fatty Acids Into Your Diet

In nature, Parkinson’s disease is inflammatory. Omega-3 fatty acids are heavily involved in the prevention of cell degeneration as well as death. These benefits go beyond preventing Parkinson’s.

Having a Local and Organic Diet

Since pesticides and other environmental factors go into one of the risks of getting Parkinson’s disease, another prevention method is eating organically. Organic foods are generally safer because of the lower amount of pesticides they have. However, farmers can legally use some pesticides on their crops while still labeling it as organic. This is why buying locally also assures that the food you’re purchasing is, in fact, natural and does not contain pesticides.

Symptoms:

Tremor

A tremor or a shaking feeling that usually starts in your hands or fingers.

Speech or Writing Changing

Speaking softly, quickly, slurring your words, or hesitating before you start talking.

It could become harder to write and you might start writing smaller.

A Loss of Automatic Movements

Your natural ability to do unconscious movements like blinking, smiling, or swinging your arms when you walk may be decreased.

The Stages of Parkinson’s

Stage One

The person would usually have small symptoms such as tremors or shaking in limbs. They can also develop poor posture, a loss of balance, and unnatural facial expressions.

Stage Two

The symptoms start to affect limbs and both sides of the body. This causes the person to have trouble walking or balancing. Plus, the inability to do certain physical tasks becomes more self-evident.

Stage Three

Symptoms can become severe and create the person the inability to walk straight or stand at all. Their physical movements start to progressively get slower.

Stage Four

Their ability to walk is almost entirely limited and you can clearly see the sluggishness of the person’s movements. During this stage, people are usually incapable to complete basic everyday tasks and cannot live on their own.

Stage Five

The final stage. The person is usually incapable to take care of themselves at all and usually can’t stand or walk at all. They may need constant assistance from a one on one nurse.

Effects on system/organ/tissue:

Parkinson’s disease affects the human’s central nervous system and is generally known as a movement disorder. It affects nerve cells in deep parts of the brain that are known as the basal ganglia and the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra is a long nucleus that is located in the midbrain. It is apart of the basal ganglia which are an accumulation of nuclei that specializes in processing information of movement. The nerve cells that produce dopamine in the substantia nigra begin to die off in some people. Symptoms of Parkinson’s such as tremors, slowness of movement, and stiffness occur when 80% of dopamine is gone.

Diagnosis methods:

There are no specific tests that exist to diagnose Parkinson’s disease. When doctors that are trained in the field of nervous system conditions, also known as neurologists, are diagnosing Parkinson’s, they do it based off of peoples medical history, reviewing their symptoms, and a neurological physical examination.

Other Methods Include:

Imaging Tests - 

This method of diagnosing is not principally helpful when it comes to diagnosing Parkinson’s, however, it is still used.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

CT (Computed Tomography)

PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography)

Could possibly be used to help eliminate any other disorders.

Treatment:

There is yet to be a cure for Parkinson’s disease, however, there are different types of treatments to help with controlling their symptoms very drastically.

Carbidopa-levodopa

Levodopa is a naturally transpiring chemical that can access the brain. When combined with a drug given to people with Parkinson’s known as Carbidopa, the levodopa can convert into dopamine. Plus, Carbidopa prevents the levodopa from converting into dopamine before it enters the brain.

One of the most effective treatments for Parkinson’s

People may experience side effects including nausea, a lightheaded feeling, and making sudden movements beyond their control.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Electrodes are implanted into a specific part of your brain. They are connected to a generator that is implanted into the inside of your chest near the collarbone. It sends electrical pulses to your brain and can reduce the symptoms of the disease.

This treatment is very effective when it comes to controlling erratic and fluctuating responses to levodopa which is a naturally occurring acid found in food that is converted into dopamine in the brain and body.

Includes serious risks including infection, stroke, and brain hemorrhage.

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Technology

Therapeutic Cloning

What is Therapeutic Cloning?

Cloning that is designed as a method of therapy for a disease. In therapeutic cloning, the nucleus of a cell, most commonly a skin cell, is implanted into a fertilized egg whose nucleus has been removed. The egg begins to repeatedly divide to produce a blastocyst. The blastocyst is a structure that is developed in the early formation stages of mammals. It possesses an inner cell mass which forms an embryo. At this point, scientists can extract stem cells from the blastocyst and use them in order to grow cells that are a perfect genetic match for a patient.

Therapeutic cloning is a fairly divisive topic in modern biology. To some people, it can promise future where diseased and damaged organs and tissues can be replaced without the concern of your immune system rejecting them. To other people, this brings up the ethical question of if it is morally right to create a human embryo for the sake of scientific sacrifice. 

How is Therapeutic Cloning Being Used To Treat Parkinson’s?

The use of therapeutic cloning is not one of the main forms of treatment for Parkinson’s and is still in the works of being fully mastered. However, the idea of it is fascinating and shows promise for treating and possibly curing Parkinson’s Disease after farther research is done. Mice with a disorder similar to Parkinson's have shown a significant improvement after being implanted with brain cells derived for their own tissue. To do this, scientists used skin cells from the tail of the mice to generated customized dopamine. Then, the mice would receive neurons acquired from personally suited stem cells. The mice that got this treatment showed a neurological improvement in their disorders. 

Therapeutic Cloning vs Old/Other Treament Methods

Since the nineteenth century, early treatments of Parkinson’s were based on experimental observation and anticholinergic drugs. The biggest improvement in treatment came in the 1960s when scientists figured out the difference in brain function between someone with and without Parkinson’s had to do with low levels of dopamine. As research progressed, the evolution of therapy did too as scientists had more knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the basal ganglia. 

Deep Brain Stimulation (DPS) Treatment vs Therapeutic Cloning Treatment

DPS -

Deep Brain Stimulation is beneficial on motor function but not as much on non-motor symptoms. 

A new area in the brain that is specifically for Parkinson’s dementia is targeted with DBS. 

There is also indications that DBS can improve quality of sleep, pain in the musculoskeletal system, and urinary symptoms.

Overall, this method of treatment reduces symptoms of DBS, does little to no damage, and decreases medication needs.

Therapeutic Cloning - 

Although its benefits are not 100% definite. There is still evidence that it is has a very likely chance of becoming a great advantage in treating and curing Parkinson's.

It creates entirely new embryos that can be used to create personalized stem cells.

It stops tissue rejection from being a threat to people.

Could lead to organ regeneration and has the potential to create organs itself.

Social and Ethical Implications

An ethical issue with therapeutic cloning is the fact that during the process of it, young embryos are destroyed. In general, embryonic stem cell research destroys young lives whether or not the cells are taken from a fertilized or cloned embryo. When it comes to cloning, net embryos are formed precisely for experimental use and are destroyed during those experiments as well. Basically, this creates a class of humans whose only reason to exist is for the sake of scientific experimentation. 

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Connection

The connection between science and technology are very strong and they both take part in each other very much. The use of technology in science, as well as the medical field, has practically become evolutionary in our generation. There are various different ways technology can help and provide people with the proper treatments they need for diseases or sicknesses they may have. All of these up and coming technological advancements we are witnessing in our everyday life are all products of what science has brought to us and society as well. The impacts of technology, that has been brought by science, is also extremely connected to society as well. We are in an era where most things revolve and rely on technology. Technology is being used in homes, schools, workplaces, and many other additional places. 

                                                  References

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Parr-Brownlie, L. C., & Reynolds, J. N. (2016, June 19). Basal ganglia. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/basal-ganglion

Pouratian, N. (n.d.). How does Parkinson's disease affect the body? Retrieved from https://www.sharecare.com/health/parkinsons-disease/how-parkinsons-disease-affect-body

Prentice, D. A. (2005, December 04). The Trouble with Hwang: The Ethical and Scientific Problems of. Retrieved from https://cbhd.org/content/trouble-hwang-ethical-and-scientific-problems-therapeutic-cloning

Therapeutic Cloning Treats Parkinson's Disease in Mice. (2008, March 23). Retrieved from https://www.mskcc.org/press-releases/therapeutic-cloning-treats-parkinson-disease-mice

Vindvall, O., & Kokaia, Z. (2009, May). Prospects of stem cell therapy for replacing dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165614709000534

What are Common Risk Factors for Parkinson's? (2017). Retrieved from https://parkinsonsdisease.net/basics/risk-factors-causes/

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