“We selected South Korea for this Adlea clinical trial because the standards of care in orthopedic surgery and the professional training of its clinicians are similar to those in the United States,” said John McLaughlin, chief executive officer. “An important difference from U.S. clinical practice is that arthroscopic shoulder surgery patients in South Korea are routinely admitted to the hospital for two or more days following surgery. This extended hospitalization period will enable us to conduct longer and more detailed post-surgical safety and efficacy analyses than would be practical in the United States.”

The planned study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled, two-stage exploratory study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of a single dose of Adlea compared to placebo administered at the conclusion of arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The trial is designed to enroll 74 patients.

Adlea is currently in two pivotal Phase 3 trials in the U.S.: one in total knee replacement surgeries and one in bunionectomy surgeries. Top-line data from both trials are expected by year-end 2008. An additional Phase 2 Adlea trial is in progress in total hip replacement surgeries. These trials are among those intended to support a broad Adlea label indication for the management of acute pain following orthopedic surgery.

How Adlea May Address the Need for Long-Duration, Well-Tolerated Pain Relief

Adlea is a long-acting, non-opioid drug with the potential to provide pain relief for weeks to months after a single localized treatment. Its novel mechanism of action results in site-specific efficacy intended to avoid the unwanted side effects associated with systemically administered analgesic drugs such as opioids and NSAIDs.

Adlea is a highly purified form of capsaicin (derived from chili peppers) that acts primarily on TRPV-1 receptors residing on C-fiber neurons which transmit long-term pain by binding to and desensitizing these pain receptors. This leads to a prolonged, reversible and localized desensitization of the pain fibers. The drug generally has a short half-life of 1 to 2 hours, and is undetectable in the blood after 24 hours.

Adlea’s short duration of systemic exposure relative to the longer duration of analgesia may offer a safe, additive treatment option in the management of post-surgical orthopedic pain, as well as pain due to moderate to severe osteoarthritis. In clinical trials to date, adverse events have been similar in patients receiving Adlea or placebo.

About Anesiva and its Diverse Pipeline of Pain Products

Anesiva, Inc. is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company that seeks to be the leader in the development and commercialization of novel pharmaceutical products for pain management. Anesiva has one FDA-approved product, Zingo(TM), for the reduction of pain associated with peripheral venous access procedures in children ages three to 18. In clinical trials, the most common adverse reactions to Zingo were redness (erythema), red dots (petechiae) and swelling (edema). The next product in Anesiva’s pipeline, Adlea(TM), is currently in two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials to support an indication for the management of acute pain following orthopedic surgery. Adlea has been shown to reduce pain after only a single administration for weeks to months in multiple settings in mid-stage clinical trials for site-specific, acute and chronic, moderate-to-severe pain. Anesiva is based in South San Francisco, CA. For more information about Anesiva’s leadership in the development of products for pain management, and an overview of the clinical challenges being addressed by its product candidates, go to http://www.anesiva.com.

Through http://www.EmpowHer.com, a national women’s health Web site and Brickfish, a social media advertising platform, women are sharing their best health advice through the “The Gift of Giving” contest where the grand prize winner will receive a $2,500 Tiffany and Co., gift card.

“‘The Gift of Giving’ campaign is the perfect way for women to exchange health information and learn from each other, which is what women already do intuitively,” said Michelle King Robson, founder & CEO of http://www.EmpowHer.com. “That’s why we are thrilled to see women propelling health advice virally across the Internet.”

King Robson goes on to say that “Women are the CMO’s of their family. They’re the chief medical officers in charge of keeping their loved ones healthy and that’s why EmpowHer.com is focused on tapping into the strength of women.”

Thousands of women have already tapped into their willingness to share. So far, the contest has garnered more than 600,000 engagements, which includes entries, views, votes, and reviews.

In addition to the grand prize winner, one winner selected from the top 100 most viral entries, will win a $1,000 gift card to Tiffany & Co. One winner, selected from all entrants who sign up on the EmpowHer.com site and creates a profile, will win a $500 gift card to Tiffany & Co.

Brands and agencies use Brickfish’s patent-pending platform to launch online advertising and marketing campaigns that spark the creation of brand-focused UGC, such as blogs, images, video and audio. Brickfish’s content sharing tools enable anyone to view and review submissions, vote on their favorites, and share them with friends and peers through email, Instant Message and by posting on social networking sites, creating a powerful viral conversation that spans the Internet.

“Today people look to peers on the Internet before making many types of purchase decisions, and health care is no different,” said Brian Dunn, CEO of Brickfish. “We are thrilled to partner with EmpowHer.com to facilitate those conversations in a highly viral and effective way, while boosting awareness of EmpowHer.com’s unique women’s healthcare hub.”

Of the over 700,000 incidences of stroke per year in the United States, more than half lead to depression. “Post-stroke depression has been shown in numerous studies to be associated with both impaired recovery in activities of daily living and increased mortality. Prevention of depression thus represents a potentially important goal,” write author Robert. G. Robinson, M.D. (University of Iowa, Iowa City) and colleagues.

Testing the efficacy of the anti-depressant drug escitalopram or problem-solving therapy in comparison to placebo, Robinson and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial with 176 stroke patients. Within three months of the stroke, 59 patients were randomly assigned to take escitalopram for 12 months, 59 were assigned to the problem-solving therapy group, and 58 were assigned to the placebo group. In the problem-solving therapy group, patients received six treatment sessions and six reinforcement sessions; part of the program consisted of selecting a problem and working through steps to develop a plan of action.

Using a more conservative method of data analysis, the researchers still found that escitalopram resulted in more favorable results than placebo - 23.1% of escitalopram patients developed depression compared to 34.5% in the placebo group. However, in these additional analyses, 30.5% of the problem-solving therapy group developed depression - not significantly better than placebo. Lastly, on significant difference among the groups was noted regarding the frequency of adverse events.

Escitalopram and Problem-Solving Therapy for Prevention of Poststroke Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Robert G. Robinson; Ricardo E. Jorge; David J. Moser; Laura Acion; Ana Solodkin; Steven L. Small; Pasquale Fonzetti; Mark Hegel; Stephan Arndt
JAMA (2008). 299[20]:2391 - 2400.
Click Here to View Abstract

- CRYSTEL study showed that continuous Enbrel therapy was at least as effective and safe as paused therapy in psoriasis patients and both treatment regimens improved Physician Global Assessment (PGA) scores and patient satisfaction.

- The 318 study investigated patients with serious patient-reported outcome (PRO) impairment and showed that administration of Enbrel 50mg once weekly resulted in significant PRO improvements.

Commenting on the overall impact of the new study details, investigator Professor Christopher Griffiths, Professor of Dermatology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, noted “Psoriasis can be extremely distressing and requires a life-time of treatment. There is a real need for patient-centred management with early and effective treatment intervention. These study results add to the body of evidence demonstrating that Enbrel (etanercept) is safe and effective as either a continuous or intermittently used therapy in patients with psoriasis. Furthermore, the once-weekly study findings indicate that a more convenient treatment regime is a realistic option in the near future for patients with this disabling disease.”

CRYSTEL study details presented at Spring EADV

In the CRYSTEL study, patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomised in an open-label study and received Enbrel, either continuously for 54 weeks or paused in a treat-to-response fashion.

- Continuous Enbrel therapy was at least as effective and safe as paused therapy in psoriasis patients - both treatment regimens improved PGA scores and patient satisfaction, with satisfaction maintained during the re-treatment period in the paused group.

- Patients treated with Enbrel showed sustained improvements in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) for up to 54 weeks.

- Significant improvement in nail psoriasis was seen in Enbrel treated patients as early as Week 12 and was sustained for up to 54 weeks. Greater improvement in nail psoriasis was seen with continuous treatment; however, both groups showed continuing and significant improvement over 54 weeks, and the paused arm showed repeat response after re-treatment.

- Significant improvement in scalp psoriasis was seen in Enbrel treated patients as early as Week 3 and was sustained for up to 54 weeks. Greater improvement in Psoriasis Scalp Score (PSS) was seen with continuous treatment; however, improvement in the paused group was also seen and was maintained after re-treatment.

Enbrel once-weekly study details presented at Spring EADV

Data from a separate trial show that the new option of Enbrel once-weekly could also help to provide greater flexibility and convenience to improve the quality of life for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis entered this trial with serious PRO impairment, with Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (QoL indices) comparable to that of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). At week 12, patients receiving Enbrel 50 mg QW had significant improvements in PROs compared with patients receiving placebo. After 24 weeks of etanercept treatment, patients’ serious PRO impairment was largely abated, consistent with improvements in clinical measures reported elsewhere.

Impact of Psoriasis

Across Europe 5.1 million people are estimated to have psoriasis, a distressing chronic inflammatory disease. Approximately 80 per cent of these patients have plaque psoriasis, which is characterised by red, scaly patches. Psoriasis can be extremely distressing and has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. It is a condition which is frequently physically and psychologically disabling - in adults it is associated with an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and clinical depression.

Mara Maccarone, President of the Pan-European Psoriasis Patients Organisation Forum (PE.Pso.POF) commented, “Recently, research we conduced in the form of a pan-European patient survey highlighted the very real impact that psoriasis has on the daily lives of individuals and how in reality many patients delay seeking treatment. It is important that patients are given appropriate and effective treatments for their psoriasis as early as possible. With the advent of newer systemic treatments psoriasis patients have greater options tailored to their needs that can achieve skin clearance that will dramatically improve their lives. Our survey shows many patients who are eligible for biologics are not getting these treatments and are remaining on sub-optimal treatments for prolonged periods of time”

About Enbrel

Enbrel is a fully human soluble tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor. Enbrel was first approved in 1998 for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and has since been used in nearly 500,000 patients worldwide across indications.

Enbrel in the EU is approved for the following indications:

Rheumatoid arthritis

Enbrel in combination with methotrexate is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adults when the response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, including methotrexate (unless contraindicated), has been inadequate.

Enbrel can be given as monotherapy in case of intolerance to methotrexate or when continued treatment with methotrexate is inappropriate.

Enbrel is also indicated in the treatment of severe, active and progressive rheumatoid arthritis in adults not previously treated with methotrexate.

Enbrel, alone or in combination with methotrexate, has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of joint damage as measured by X-ray and to improve physical function.

Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Treatment of active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years who have had an inadequate response to, or who have proved intolerant of, methotrexate. Enbrel has not been studied in children aged less than 4 years.

Psoriatic arthritis

Treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults when the response to previous disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy has been inadequate. Enbrel has been shown to improve physical function in patients with psoriatic arthritis, and to reduce the rate of progression of peripheral joint damage as measured by X-ray in patients with polyarticular symmetrical subtypes of the disease.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Treatment of adults with severe active ankylosing spondylitis who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy.

Plaque psoriasis

Treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who failed to respond to, or who have a contraindication to, or are intolerant to other systemic therapy including cyclosporine, methotrexate or PUVA

About Wyeth

Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. It is also a global leader in vaccines, biotechnology and animal health care.

http://www.wyeth.eu

About Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the number of women of menopausal age who have osteoporosis or are at risk for developing the disease will increase from almost 30 million in 2002 to nearly 41 million in 2020. Up to 20 percent of a woman’s expected lifetime bone loss can occur in the years immediately following menopause. The treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis could lead to significant improvement in the overall health for millions of women worldwide as well as reduce costs associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis-related fractures.

About Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, has leading products in the areas of women’s health care, infectious disease, gastrointestinal health, central nervous system, inflammation, transplantation, hemophilia, oncology, vaccines and nutritional products.

Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, nutritionals and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the inherent uncertainty of the timing and success of, and expense associated with, research, development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our products and pipeline products (including that there can be no assurance that our pending new drug applications for bazedoxifene will be approved or that the product will ever be successfully commercialized); government cost-containment initiatives; restrictions on third-party payments for our products; substantial competition in our industry, including from branded and generic products; emerging data on our products and pipeline products; the importance of strong performance from our principal products and our anticipated new product introductions; the highly regulated nature of our business; product liability, intellectual property and other litigation risks and environmental liabilities; uncertainty regarding our intellectual property rights and those of others; difficulties associated with, and regulatory compliance with respect to, manufacturing of our products; risks associated with our strategic relationships; economic conditions including interest and currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; trade buying patterns; the impact of legislation and regulatory compliance; risks and uncertainties associated with global operations and sales; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption “Item 1A, Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2008. The forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these risk factors. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
http://www.wyeth.com

The survey of 1,064 people with GERD found that approximately 56 percent of those who experienced breakthrough used an OTC treatment - the majority using an antacid - to manage breakthrough symptoms. Further, taking an OTC in addition to a PPI has become routine for these respondents. In fact, more than 70 percent have been using OTC medications for at least one year.

“The survey results show that people with GERD are not only using their prescribed PPI, but also are turning to over-the-counter remedies as a stop-gap when they have breakthrough symptoms,” said John Inadomi, MD, associate professor of medicine, University of California, San Francisco.

Additional survey findings showed that:

* More than 40 percent of respondents on a PPI who experience breakthrough symptoms, report those symptoms occur two to four times per week.

* Respondents report breakthrough symptoms occur throughout the day, sometimes multiple times per day. Sixty-five percent of GERD sufferers experienced breakthrough at night and 28 percent report sleep disruption because of their symptoms.

* Among patients suffering from breakthrough symptoms, at least 50 percent are not fully satisfied with the specific symptom relief (e.g., acid regurgitation and heartburn) they get from their once-daily PPI.

* While 98 percent of respondents who experience breakthrough symptoms report taking their PPI as directed, more than 40 percent have not spoken to their physician about these symptoms.

* Nearly two-thirds (57 percent) of respondents report that their physician has not asked about their habitual use of OTC medications, such as Alka-Seltzer, Mylanta, Pepcid Complete and Pepto-Bismol, in addition to their PPI.

“Breakthrough symptoms can be bothersome and frustrating to GERD sufferers, but they aren’t talking about it with their physician as often as they should,” said Dr. Inadomi. “By discussing the frequency, severity and timing of breakthrough symptoms, physicians and patients can determine if changes need to be made to their GERD treatment.”

About GERD

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is caused by frequent or regular back up of stomach juices from the stomach into the esophagus. It is estimated that GERD affects between 25-35 percent of the U.S. population. Common symptoms of GERD include: heartburn, dyspepsia, regurgitation, chest sensations or pain, acid laryngitis and dysphagia. Proton pump inhibitors decrease acid production by turning off many of the acid pumps in the stomach.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive and funded through a grant by TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. The survey consisted of a 10-minute online, self-administered survey. Participants were 40 percent male, 60 percent female. Forty percent of the respondents were under age 49 and 60 percent were 50 and over. All patients suffered from GERD and had been taking a PPI to control their symptoms for at least three months.

The main sample is associated with a margin of sampling error plus or minus 3 percentage points; for results based on subgroups the sampling error is higher. Where comparisons were made, significance testing was done at 95 percent confidence. Testing differences between groups at the 95 percent confidence level indicates that there is no more than a 5 in 100 chance that the difference observed between the groups could have been obtained by chance.

La paternité Institut souligne le rapport s’appuie sur des recherches impliquant des professionnels de la maternité, ainsi que les pères et les mères pendant l’ensemble de la période, avant, avant, pendant et après une naissance.

La plupart des pères sont intéressés et désireux de s’acquitter de leurs responsabilités parentales, mais ils n’ont pas obtenu de l’encouragement ou le soutien, dit l’Institut Paternité - ce qui est particulièrement le cas si elles sont jeunes ou autrement défavorisées. Et ceux qui ne montrent aucun intérêt pour la paternité / paternité sont simplement autorisés à éloigner de leurs obligations, sans défi.

Le père demande que le déficit –

– Les deux parents soient autorisés à passer la nuit dans un quartier postnatale.

– Les deux parents signent l’acte de naissance. Comme cela se fait en Australie, où une enquête est souvent déclenché si la signature du père n’est pas là.

– Les sages-femmes soient formés à travailler avec les pères.

– Avez encourager les services de maternité, les papas d’être là pour le médecin pupille ronde et quand l’aide est accordée sur les compétences requises pour s’occuper d’un bébé.

– Qu’il soit clair NHS directives sur le rôle du père au moment de la naissance.

– Une coordonnées programme gouvernemental spécifique pour donner un appui aux prénatals jeunes mères et pères vulnérables.

Duncan Fisher, directeur général, Institut La paternité a déclaré: “La recherche montre clairement que la participation positive des pères, dès le début est essentiel, et que, lorsque des professionnels de dialoguer avec les pères, en particulier les jeunes papas ou autrement vulnérables, cela fait une énorme différence pour la mère et le bébé . Ce qui se passe réellement est que, alors que maintenant la mère responsabilités sont renforcées à chaque occasion, le premier message obtenir de nombreux pères après la naissance est: “maintenant quitter cet endroit!” Le père doit être tenue comme responsable au même titre que la mère pour le bien-être de leur enfant, ce qui signifie que le personnel saisit toutes les occasions pour informer, aider ou défi lui (comme ils le font avec la mère) plutôt que de se brosser lui réserver. Comme un père a dit: «Être un Père, tu ne reçois rien à l’hôpital. Ils ne disent pas “bien, si vous fumez une lecture du présent”. Il n’ya rien à cet égard ».

“Actuellement, nous n’avons pas de poser des questions si le père ne se présente pas aux ante natal pour la nomination ou de ne pas signer le certificat de naissance. Si les choses vont changer, il faut maintenant commencer à envoyer fois les mamans et les papas certains signaux très différents ».

Selon Le papa de déficit, si le père est éduquée (ainsi que de la mère) sur la manière d’être une enceinte en bonne santé mère-être, que la probabilité d’être atteint est vraiment beaucoup plus élevé. Le rapport a également constaté que les services de maternité, les pères sont destinées à discrétionnaire et ne sont pas systématiquement travailler avec eux. Il a aussi constaté que 70% des couples aimerait que le papa d’être en mesure de passer la nuit à l’hôpital quand le bébé est né. 7% de tous les certificats de naissance dans le Royaume-Uni n’ont pas la signature du père.

Même si la majorité des britanniques papas sont présents pendant la naissance de leur enfant, ils se sentent exclus et peuvent être littéralement «évincées lors de la visite est de plus de temps”.

Le rapport cite un père qui a dit «Il a toujours l’impression d’être trois heures du matin lorsque j’ai quitté l’hôpital après la naissance de l’un de mes enfants… Vous errer sans but à travers les rues la nuit, jusqu’à ce que vous arrivez à la maison, ou Une autre destination qui mérite d’avoir un sens. Mais le sens réel est enfermé dans un lit dans un quartier dans un bâtiment où vous n’êtes pas les bienvenus. “

The findings suggest that the effects of atherosclerosis are more widespread than previously believed, the researchers say. The study could lead to new targets for developing drugs that could help prevent or reduce these chemical changes that appear to accompany heart disease, the number one cause of death in the U.S. Their study was presented today at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

“Our findings add new knowledge to the big melting pot of this complex disease called atherosclerosis,” says study leader Rita Upmacis, Ph.D., a chemist at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York. “I anticipate that future research will establish whether the harmful protein modifications we observed in animal organs can be prevented and provide the basis of new treatments for the disease.”

Scientists are closing in on the root causes of the disease. One of the more promising lines of research focuses on the interaction between certain highly reactive nitrogen molecules and proteins. Under certain conditions, this interaction produces nitrotyrosine, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, and other disorders. However, scientists know little about the role of nitrotyrosine in atherosclerosis.

In the new study, Upmacis and colleagues worked with laboratory mice that have atherosclerosis. These mice are widely used in atherosclerosis research that cannot be done in humans. Mice that are genetically prone to atherosclerosis and fed a high-fat diet developed high levels of nitrotyrosine in their heart, lung, liver, and kidney. By contrast, mice that were fed regular diets showed no such increase. The rise in nitrotyrosine levels suggests that high-fat diets in animals with atherosclerosis can help trigger nitrotyrosine accumulation in the proteins of various organs, the scientists say.

Upmacis and colleagues also conducted a related experiment in atherosclerotic mice lacking the gene that makes nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), an enzyme that orchestrates accumulation of nitrotyrosine in proteins. In association with prior findings that iNOS gene deletion limits the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the new study showed that nitrotyrosine accumulation in proteins is reduced in diverse organs when iNOS is absent.

“The findings support an emerging view that iNOS could be a new target for treating atherosclerosis and that limiting nitrotyrosine accumulation in the lungs, liver, and other organs could help fight the damaging effects of the disease,” Upmacis says. “But the trick will be to develop a drug to block this pathway without causing any unwanted side effects.”

Potentially, the accumulation of nitrotyrosine in the blood can be utilized as a diagnostic test to track atherosclerosis and provide a clearer picture of damage to organs, the researchers say.

The legislation would require each VA facility to have at least one women’s health expert on staff; authorize several studies on the physical, mental and reproductive health of women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan; and examine the barriers women face in accessing care at male-dominated VA clinics. The bill also would require VA mental health professionals to be trained to treat women who have been sexually assaulted.

According to the bill’s sponsors, women face more stress when they return from war and “are thrust back into their roles as caregivers without much of a transition,” the Daily News reports. The bill’s sponsors include Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) (Bolstad, Anchorage Daily News, 4/3).

The study is the work of investigators at the Rush, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, and the University of South Florida, Tampa, and is published in the April 6 issue of Nature Medicine.

Lead author and neuroscientist at Rush University Medical Center, Dr Jeffrey H Kordower, said they found evidence that fetal neuron cells grafted 14 years earlier into the brain of a woman who had Parkinson’s were affected in the same way that the disease affected the host dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra part of the woman’s brain.

The new cells had developed “Lewy body pathology”, the defining pathology for the disease, said Kordower, who is Jean Schweppe-Armour Professor of Neurological Sciences, professor of Neurosurgery, director of the Research Center on Brain Repair, and head of the section on Neuroscience at Rush.

The Lewy body pathology was confirmed using a staining method that showed evidence of alpha-synuclein and ubiquitin, and reduction of dopamine transporter.

“These findings give us a bit of pause for the value of cell replacement strategy for Parkinson’s disease,” added Kordower.

“We still need to vigorously investigate this approach among the full armament of surgically-delivered Parkinson’s disease therapies. While it is not clear to us whether the same fate would befall stem cell grafts, the next generation of cell replacement procedures, this study does suggest that grafted cells can be affected by the disease process,” he explained.

The woman described in the article had a 22 year history of Parkinson’s disease and was one of a group of patients who received fetal cell grafts in 1993 to reverse the loss of striatal dopamine in the brain.

After receiving the cell grafts, the woman’s symptoms improved, as measured by the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), and the fact her need for Parkinson’s related medication reduced significantly.

Her UPDS improvement held until 1997, but by 2004, said the investigators, her symptoms became progressively worse, and she died in 2007.

The investigators were able to study the brain of the deceased woman and also those of two other patients in her group who had received cell grafts at the same time.

The woman had the longest survival after transplant of all the patients in her group.

The investigators said that post mortem studies on patients that had not lived as long had shown a “robust survival of grafted neurons”, suggesting they were not affected by Parkinson’s.

But as Kordower explained, those individuals had not lived as long:

“Because Parkinson’s disease pathology progresses over decades, we think that the individuals did not live long enough for the Parkinson’s disease pathology to develop in the grafted cells.”

Scientists have speculated for some time about whether Parkinson’s is an ongoing pathological process that goes on to affect healthy cells, or whether it starts as a sudden event affecting only a certain number of cells.

Kordower and colleagues suggest their findings support the idea that the degenerative process is still there many years later, and is capable of affecting transplanted cells. And the process may destroy dopamine cells outside of the midbrain, they said.

Kordower said the findings also show that there may be:

“Either a pathogenic factor in the brain that affects dopamine producing neurons or a pathological process that can spread from one cellular system to another.”

“These findings have striking implications for understanding what causes [Parkinson's Disease] and the potential for cell replacement strategies to reverse the motor symptoms,” he added.

Parkinson’s Disease usually strikes people over 50 and is a motor symptom disorder that results from the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, which helps to smooth motor movement.

The four main symptoms are trembling hands, feet, legs, jaw and face, rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk, slowing down of movement, and difficulty with balance and co-ordination. These eventually lead to difficulties speaking, walking, and doing simple every day tasks. Depression and emotional problems often accompany these more advanced symptoms.

The disease is difficult to diagnose and there is currently no cure although drugs that slow down the symptoms do exist.

According to the World Health Organization, in 1990 there were 4 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s Disease.