Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder charact- ized clinically by tremor, rigidity, slow movements, and postural instability. Pathologically, dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra bear the brunt of the degeneration, though other neuronal groups can be affected as well. Although Parkinson's disease is the only neurodegenerative disorder for which effective therapies are available, these treatment options are only symptomatic, do not influence the underlying degenerative process, and are associated with a high incidence of complications, particularly with their long-term use. The progressive nature of the disease and the limitations of its palliative therapies result in significant functional impairment. The chronic disability and the increased prevalence of the disease with the prolongation of life expectancy in developed countries make the social and economic impact of this disease quite high. For- nately, systematic basic and clinical research in this disease has yielded major new advances that render patients' hopes for a cure considerably closer to reality. The application of molecular biologic methodologies in the study of Parkinson's disease has begun to have a major impact only in recent years. Con- quently, the utility of these technologies is largely in the research arena, although their clinical applications are now being realized.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Klappentext
The use of molecular technologies to study Parkinson's disease in the laboratory is beginning to have a major impact in clinical medicine. In Parkinson's Disease: Methods and Protocols, internationally recognized biomedical investigators describe in detail the major techniques employed in molecular and cellular studies of Parkinson's disease and basal ganglia function, adding along the way considerable background information about the rationale and utility of these methods, as well as about fundamental issues in Parkinson's disease. Widely varied methods are covered, including genetic analyses, molecular pathogenetic investigations of dopaminergic neuronal degeneration, biochemical studies of nigrostriatal neural circuitry, and molecular therapies, such as gene therapy and neural stem cells.

Comprehensive and timely, Parkinson's Disease: Methods and Protocols offers scientists and clinicians interested in Parkinson's and related neurodegenerative disorders the major cutting-edge methods-in a readily reproducible format-needed to effectively exploit the potential of cell and molecular biology for elucidating disease mechanisms and for speeding the emergence of novel and more effective therapeutics.

Inhalt
Genetics.- Point Mutations in the ?-Synuclein Gene.- Autosomal Recessive Juvenile Parkinsonism (AR-JP): Genetic Diagnosis.- Molecular Pathogenetic Studies.- Parkinson's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Multiple System Atrophy as ?-Synucleinopathies.- ?-Synuclein/Amyloid Interactions.- Functional Defect Conferred by the Parkinson's Disease-Causing ?-Synuclein (Ala30Pro) Mutation.- Molecular Biology of Dopamine-Induced Apoptosis.- Animal Models of Induced Apoptotic Death in the Substantia Nigra.- Apoptotic Morphology in Phenotypically Defined Dopaminergic Neurons of the Substantia Nigra.- The Role of Nitric Oxide in Parkinson's Disease.- Oxidative Stress Indices in Parkinson's Disease.- Molecular Aspects of Basal Ganglia Function.- Quantification of Tyrosine Hydroxylase mRNA.- Immunochemical Analysis of Dopamine Transporters in Parkinson's Disease.- Dopamine Transporter and Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Knockout Mice.- Transcription Mechanisms for Dopamine Receptor Genes.- Detection of DNA/Protein Interactions in Dopamine Receptor Genes.- In Situ Hybridization on Brain Tissue.- Regulation of Striatal N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (NMDAR) Function by Phosphorylation of its Subunits in Parkinsonian Rats.- Molecular Therapies.- Chronic Intracerebral Delivery of Trophic Factors via a Programmable Pump as a Treatment for Parkinsonism.- Grafting Genetically Engineered Cells into the Striatum of Nonhuman Primates.- Encapsulated Cell Implants as a Novel Treatment for Parkinson's Disease.- Neural Stem Cell Technology as a Novel Treatment for Parkinson's Disease.