ABSTRACT: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) as a neuroprotective therapy for Parkinson's disease

Speaker:  Matthias Bähr

Although a relatively large number of drugs are available to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, so far there is no available therapy that halts or delays disease progression. This progression usually results in worsening of the symptoms, and eventually renders the symptomatic treatment ineffective. Our research goal is to search for therapies that have an influence on the cause of Parkinson's disease – the cell death of a group of specialized nerve cells in the brain that secrete dopamine. We have recently discovered that a specific protein, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, is effective in reducing cell death in a mouse model for Parkinson's disease. This protein factor is quite attractive as a therapy because it is known to be well-tolerated in humans. In this project we accumulated data on this factor, such as effective dose ranges.