February, 2018’s Wellness Series- Hot Topics Follow-up
For those that missed the first Dr. Nate McMullen provided the background about alpha synuclein and how it becomes dysfunctional and contributes to cell death in PD by building up inside the cell and interfering with protein recycling (garbage disposal processes within the cell). He highlighted how new therapeutic strategies may help the body clear toxic alpha synuclein protein exogenously through new or existing medications or endogenously through new immunotherapies that help the body defend itself. He reviewed several clinical trials that target different pathways to 1) decrease production 2) prevent misfolding 3) enhance intracellular degradation 4) enhance extracellular degradation, and 5) reduce the uptake (and spread) into neighboring cells. These are exciting developments. For the first time it seems they are actually targeting pathways that are directly involved in triggering cell death. This opens the doors to so many therapeutic strategies to slow, reverse, or halt disease progression!
Dr. Becky Farley emphasized that there is something you can do NOW that may enhance the clearance of the toxic alpha synuclein protein from your brain! You don’t have to wait for NEW therapies! In fact, that “something” is a hallmark of the PWR!Gym research-based programming, and as a PWR!Gym member, you are already doing it – progressive aerobic exercise!!! Dr. Farley went on to summarize the newly published research describing how mice with PD symptoms that ran (on a running wheel) ~ 3 miles/day for 3 months, showed improved motor and cognitive function AND dramatically reduced alpha synuclein accumulation in the brain! In other words, daily exercise enhanced the clearance of alpha synuclein from the brain into the blood.
So…we look forward to seeing you work harder during those aerobic intervals!
To learn more, see the links to our handouts:
- Hot Topics Research References
- Zero in on Alpha-synuclein 2017
- Wellness Series Therapeutic Targets New Therapies – McMullen
- Wellness Series Therapeutic Targets – Excercises – Farley
Future hand-outs for the Wellness Series can be found on our Wellness-Series Page here.
Let us know what issues you’d like us to cover for the NEXT HOT TOPIC!