A possible new treatment for Parkinson's: Sonic Hedgehog! (really!)

www.canada.com...

TORONTO (CP) - A newly identified brain chemical appears to be linked to Parkinson's disease, researchers said Thursday.

Decreased amounts of the chemical - a protein known as Sonic Hedgehog, named for a video game - contribute to symptoms of the disease, according to scientists at Toronto's Western Hospital. And their study suggests that increasing the amount of Sonic Hedgehog in the brain could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's, a disease of the central nervous system that afflicts about one per cent of Canadians over the age of 55.

in all seriousness, this could be a really big breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. but if you could read through that entire article without laughing, you're a more mature person than I.

OMG!!! I couldn't read past "Sonic Hedgehog is found in the area of the brain that controls movement" before I started to laugh ....I Know that this is a break thrugh cure...but seeing the name Sonic Hedgehog in the context that they used it in is really funny!!!

Me too! I didn't get through to much without laughing, I'm starting over so I can try to get through it all again!

I got the biggest fit of giggles over that! Neat concept, though, and I love the name!

very interesting.
wonder what's next?

"PacMan cure for obesity"?
BTW no offence meant to anyone who's proportionately challenged

Gee....wonder if that could be applied to dogs with hyperactive Tails...