Ecstasy as a brain booster for Parkinsons?

[trancethe_v]

Ecstasy as a brain booster for Parkinson's?
27 October 2006
NewScientist.com news service

It could be a rave result for people with Parkinson's. It seems that ecstasy boosts the number of dopamine-producing cells in the brain - the type that decline in those with the disease. Or so rat studies suggest.

Previous human studies have suggested that ecstasy is bad for the brain because it damages serotonin signalling neurons, which play a role in memory. When Jack Lipton of the University of Cincinnati and his colleagues gave pregnant rats the drug they found no signs of damage in newborn pups.

Instead, they saw a threefold rise in the number of dopamine producing cells. These cells were also more highly branched and developed than normal, suggesting they functioned better.

Similarly, when cultured embryonic dopamine cells were exposed to ecstasy, roughly three times as many cells survived. The effect didn't vary much with increasing concentration, although particularly high doses did kill the brain cells.

Lipton believes that ecstasy prevents the programmed cell death that normally occurs when neurons are stressed, as happens in certain degenerative diseases including Parkinson's, and in cell cultures.

Lipton suggests that some promising new ecstasy-like drugs might one day be used to boost dopamine-producing cells in people with Parkinson's - without damaging other neurons in the brain. The work was presented at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Atlanta, Georgia, last week.

interesting to hear about this

[danmark_ori]

Originally Posted by trancethe_v

interesting to hear about this

Amazing news indeed ! Don't know if this will really have the impact that's hoped for. Anyway - thanks for posting trancethe_v

[Dustwave]

sweet!

Prescription Junkie

[xnabolicxFrolic]

too bad i dont have parkinsons

[Onitam]

one day in the future, drugs like this will become a potential option

but i can't see their major introduction for a while.

interesting though

[Kitty Antonik Wakfer]

Virtually all chemicals can be both beneficial and detrimental to humans. The dosage makes the poison - an old and very true statement. Some substances fall prey to being banned by governments (with usage punishable), usually as a result of emotional responses of politicians and vocal members of the public. Science in these cases takes a very back seat. It is often an uphill struggle to get any well designed studies on these items started.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethampehtamine (MDMA, street name 'Ecstasy') has been given a very bad rap (as have numerous other substances) by those who are reacting without reasoned thinking. For those inclined to look a little further regarding the social (as opposed to technical) difficulties of such research, read just the abstract of a recently published paper, "Is there a Case for MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy in the UK?" It can be read at PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi - enter 17050658 (this is the PMID number, a unique one is given to every paper entered into the US National Library of Medicine).

2435 entries come up when entering "Ecstasy OR MDMA" as the search string, but some may be totally unrelated. Refining the search for Parkinson's of Parkinsons yields 21. There's a very good review, "Ecsatsy: pharmacology and neurotoxicity", PMID 15661630. Too bad more publicity hasn't been given to the its findings rather than the emotional responses and banning that has occured.

[jack02]

But some researchers were skeptical that the results from the animal studies translate to humans and said such studies discourage research that might lead to medical uses for Ecstasy. & Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder triggered by the permanent loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells.




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What is premarin?

[ClaudiusIX]

whats parkisons in the first place?

[Onitam]

Originally Posted by ClaudiusIX

whats parkisons in the first place?

michael j fox

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson's_disease

[trance4ever]

Originally Posted by shahsxfx

Picture this,
Old peoples home!
Big speakers!
Strobe lights!
Can we say fog machines!
All the old people on E and throwing back Viagra!
Oh yah! What a way to go!
Now to what song?

Bossanova - Stonecold

[cdncookie]

i am only 27 and have been diagnosed with parkinsons. eCSTACY really? Can anything else help?

[DJ_Serg]

Why not just start taking ecstasy pills, sniff some coke, smoke some weed? All of these proved to treat one thing or another. I guess, death in this case would be a mild side-effect.

[its-exit]

Originally Posted by cdncookie

i am only 27 and have been diagnosed with parkinsons. eCSTACY really? Can anything else help?

I don't think its as simple as taking MDMA. As mentioned before, it has negative effects...but if you have the right dosage it might help more than anything...

Unfortunately, because its a banned drug, there is a good chance you will never be able to know what is the right dosage or more importantly, how to get it.

My suggestion is to actively look out for scientific studies that are attempting to treat Parkinson's...

I know that sounds bad...you'd be a guinea pig... but you might get lucky... and more importantly you'd be helping others by contributing to scientific knowledge....

just my thoughts...