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The Cure Parkinson's Trust

The Cure Parkinson’s Trust Link label is a UK registered charity that is run by people with #REDIRECT Parkinson's Disease, determined to help find a cure for this degenerative neurological condition which affects over 7 million people worldwide. People with Parkinson’s are central to the functioning of the charity, shaping research funding decisions and priorities and lobbying regulators. The Cure Parkinson's Trust's primary aim is to fund research to slow, halt or reverse the condition, particularly focusing on accelerating new treatments with the potential to make a significant impact on the condition into clinical trials.

The charity coordinates Parkinson's Movement #REDIRECT [[1] which engages people with Parkinson’s in research, seeking opinion, experiences and knowledge and this is disseminated to the wider research community. Parkinson’s Movement, working with The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, aims to involve people living with Parkinson’s as proactive and influential contributors to the direction, design and urgency of Parkinson’s clinical trials.

Since its creation in 2005, The Cure Parkinson's Trust has embarked on new research into finding a cure. This includes:

• •The design and implementation of a pilot study to assess the efficacy of using Exendin in Parkinson’s (a drug currently used to treat Diabetes) #REDIRECT [[2]]
• •The start of the GDNF trial (#REDIRECT Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) in October 2012 in which the CPT-backed convection enhanced delivery system pioneered by Professor Steven Gill was employed. This trial is also part-funded by CPT
• •The creation and coordination of the Linked Clinical Trials programme #REDIRECT [[3]]

• •The evolution of the role of gut hormones and GLP-1 agonists #REDIRECT Glucagon-like peptide-1in Parkinson’s and the identification and analysis of further gut hormones that might be relevant as treatments
• •The investigation of the role of the #REDIRECT Calcium channel blocker in Parkinson’s under the direction of Professor David Dexter
• •The evaluation of Alpha-synuclein oligomers and LRRK2 dimers to screen for new therapeutic targets
• •Considering how to improve synaptic function and GDNF therapy for Parkinson’s disease, by investigating NURR1
• •The theory and possible application of the phenomenon known as Paradoxical Kinesis for use in the treatment of Parkinson’s investigated by Professor Peter Brown

Parkinson’s Disease affects one person in every 300 and is characterised by the presence of tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement and balance problems. Not all people with Parkinson's will have all these symptoms but at least two must be present for a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's to be made.

The symptoms of Parkinson's are largely due to the loss of Dopamine containing nerve cells in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement. Other non motor symptoms such as mood changes, lost sense of smell, changes in bowel and bladder function and disrupted sleep also characterise the condition.

Apart from a small percentage (about 5%) where a genetic link exists, most cases of Parkinson's are idiopathic (of unknown cause).

Parkinson's is a progressive degenerative condition and, although it may be successfully treated by a range of therapies, it remains currently incurable.