A lentiviral vector that carries a neurotrophic factor into the brain seems to reverse symptoms of Parkinson's disease in monkeys, raising hopes that it could also be effective in humans. Researchers based in Switzerland and the US have developed a lentiviral vector that delivers the gene for glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) directly to cells in the brain. GDNF boosts nutrients in the brain as well as increasing the production of dopamine. This offsets the low levels of dopamine that lead to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Professor Jeffrey H Kordower, Director at the Research Center for Brain Repair at Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, explained: "By giving GDNF, we can stimulate dopamine production and prevent both the structural and functional consequences of cell degeneration that are characteristic of Parkinson's disease."

In the study, published in 27 October Science, lenti-GDNF was injected into the brain of aged monkeys —...

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