31st July 2016 - News release

CANCER DRUG NILOTINIB ASSESSED FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

The Michael J.Fox Foundation is assessing the clinical use and development of the cancer drug nilotinib for treating Parkinson's Disease by carrying out a full scale clinical trial. Nilotinib is a drug approved for chronic myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, under the brand name Tasigna.  For more information go to the : Michael J.Fox Foundation

Previous studies have concerned the possible use of nilotinib and Parkinson's Disease. Their findings are summarised here. Nilotinib is a cAbl tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is normally used for the treatment of cancer. It is claimed to facilitate the degradation of alpha-synuclein. Efficacy has only been assessed concerning motor function in animals that did not have Parkinson's Disease. Doses of 150mg or 300mg for 6 months were claimed to be safe and well tolerated despite side effects including one serious side effect. For more details of the previous studies concerning nilotinib and Parkinson's Disease go to : Nilotinib studies

Although alpha-synuclein is often claimed to cause and indicate Parkinson's Disease, alph-synuclein accumulates in a variety of neurological conditions and in people who do not have neurological disorders. Therefore, an accumulation of alpha-synuclein does not indicate that somebody has Parkinson's Disease. In Parkinson's Disease, the faulty formation of L-dopa causes the formation of the superoxide anion, which causes the aggregation of alpha-synuclein. So instead of alpha-synuclein accumulation being the cause of Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson's Disease causes an accumulation of alpha-synuclein.  For more news go to Parkinson's Disease News

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