Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20550

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Publication type: Journal Article

GM-1 ganglioside for Parkinson's?
SCRIP 1992 May 13; 1717:28

Abstract:

Another potential indication for Fidia’s GM-1 ganglioside product – the treatment of Parkinson’s disease – has been suggested in a recent animal study.

GM-1 ganglioside is marketed in Italy for the treatment of cerebrovascular insufficiency and is also being investigated in US trials as a potential therapy for spinal cord injury (Scrip No 1696, p27).

In the present study, reported in the May 8th issue of Science, monkeys were given the dopamine neurotoxin, MPTP, to create Parkinson’s-like symptoms. Those subsequently treated with GM-1 showed market improvement in both cognitive and motor functions over a five-to-six treatment period, but the animals receiving placebo (saline solution) showed no significant improvement, report the US authors led by Dr Jay Schneider of Hahnemann University, Philadelpia.

…mechanism of action
They comment that the exact mechanism of action GM-1 in this situation is unclear, but that it seems to foster repair and enhance the function of the damaged dopaminergic neurones. This suggests that the product may be most effective when administered early in the disease, during the degeneration process, rather than after the neurones have ceased to function. “Since earlier studies tell us that only a small percentage of healthy dopamine neurones are needed to maintain proper function, GM-1 could have benefits even in patients with established Parkinson’s”, Dr Schneider says.

The study was funded by the National Parkinson’s Foundation, the American Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and Fidia. Clinical trials in patients with Parkinson’s disease will now be planned, subject to FDA approval, the company says.