# Is this at all important - A cure for Parkinson's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976 "2007-06-06T13:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cryptoderk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cryptoderk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptoderk)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/1 "2007-06-06T13:01:58Z")
[http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/huntingdon/2007/06/06/671e4484-7991-4f94-8e2d-9e75b9c62fd8.lpf](http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/huntingdon/2007/06/06/671e4484-7991-4f94-8e2d-9e75b9c62fd8.lpf) A cure for Parkinsons, apparently, but it’s not in any international news… I suspect it’s sensationalist reporting. What’s the (I’ve wanted to say this for a while) straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/2 "2007-06-06T13:27:08Z")
I can’t find anything on PubMed about PYM-50028 (Cogane) (excepting a mention in a drug development review), so I don’t think that their Phase II trial has reported yet. Without at least going to phase II trials I’m not sure how they could claim to have a “cure”. I’m also a little suspicious of results reporting via press releases rather than peer-reviewed articles. The only reasonable thing to do is wait for the trials to report, they could very well have a cure, but there’s no way to tell yet. ---
**Author:** ![CeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/3 "2007-06-06T14:30:54Z")
No. I write for biotech companies…have no cite except my own experience. Answer: no. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/4 "2007-06-06T17:54:28Z")
\ Made title more descriptive. \ ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/5 "2007-06-06T23:44:21Z")
Tooooooooooooooooo early. Also, both Parkinson Disease and Alzheimers induce organic brain damage. I don’t see how a drug can “cure” PD without regenrating the _subtantia nigra_. Also, I don’t see how new neurons can necessarily replace the lost neurons in AD. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/6 "2007-06-07T00:06:57Z")
[QUOTE=cerberus] Tooooooooooooooooo early. Also, both Parkinson Disease and Alzheimers induce organic brain damage. I don’t see how a drug can “cure” PD without regenrating the _subtantia nigra_. Also, I don’t see how new neurons can necessarily replace the lost neurons in AD. [/QUOTE] I guess I’d consider it a cure if no furter brain damage was sustained. PD and AD are both progressive diseases, so if you get to the doctor early enough, you might be able to stop the disease’s progression. The brai is somewhat resilient, and might even be able to build new pathways if it doesn’t have to deal with continued progressionof the disease. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-at-all-important-a-cure-for-parkinsons/406976/7 "2007-06-07T06:03:33Z")
I’d consider those _effective therapeutics_, but not _cures._