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M A Y O T O D A Y
commercialize the Mayo invention
using Alnylam RNA interference
compounds.
“Our next step with this research
is to test the therapy in mice and
primates with experimental forms of
Parkinson’s disease and prove that we
are able to stop the disease progression
in those animals,” says Dr. Farrer.
“We are hopeful, as preliminary
studies suggest this is possible.”
“It is important to note that there
are significant hurdles to this therapy.
The compound needs to be directly
delivered to the brain through a
neurosurgical procedure — it cannot
be given by mouth or injection into a
vein,” says Dr. Maraganore.
■
Mayo Clinic researchers have developed
a method to reduce the production
of alpha-synuclein in the brain.
Alpha-synuclein is a protein that is
believed to be central to the cause of
Parkinson’s disease. All patients with
Parkinson’s disease have abnormal
accumulations of alpha-synuclein
protein in the brain.
The new method involves the
delivery of RNA interference
compounds via injection directly to
selected areas of the brain. The RNA
interference compounds silence the
gene that produces alpha-synuclein,
according to the Mayo researchers.
The study was published in Molecular
Neurodegeneration.
“While our research has not yet
been tested on humans, we expect that
these findings will lead to an effective
treatment for slowing or even halting
the progression of Parkinson’s
disease,” says Demetrius Maraganore,
M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist.
Drs. Maraganore and Matthew
Farrer, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic
neuroscientist, invented a method to
treat Parkinson’s disease by reducing
alpha-synuclein expression. Mayo
Clinic patented and licensed their
invention to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Inc., which is leading the effort to
Premedical program a
collaboration between
Mayo Clinic and ASU
The growing relationship between
Mayo Clinic and Arizona State
University (ASU) has resulted in a new
collaborative effort: The ASU Barrett
Honors College Premedical Scholars
Program. The Mayo Clinic-sponsored
program for students at Barrett Honors
College will teach premedical students
about career opportunities in medicine
and encourage them to take an active
role in community and humanitarian
programs.
The initiative pairs each student
with a Mayo Clinic physician-mentor
and provides a number of active
educational experiences, including
shadowing Mayo Clinic physicians,
hands-on laboratory experiences,
operating in the surgical simulation
center, and participating in Mayo
Clinic-sponsored research projects.
Students will also be encouraged
to participate in a number of human-
interest community programs,
including training as a support group
facilitator at the New Song Center,
which provides grief support and
education for children, young adults
and their families.
“I am delighted about this
connection with our ASU colleagues
and the opportunity to proactively
encourage pre-med students to become
involved in diverse areas of medicine
that will help them to provide support
to those in need,” says Victor Trastek,
M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic Arizona.
■
Mayo Clinic develops potential therapy to stop
progression of Parkinson’s disease
Arizona campus honored for treatment and prevention
Mayo Clinic was recently
recognized for exceeding
national performance
standards and received two
VHA West Coast Leadership
Awards. Mayo Clinic was
honored for excellence in
heart attack treatment and
high reliability in the prevention
of surgical infection.
Each year, VHA, a national
health care alliance, recognizes high-
performing hospitals with Leadership
Awards for clinical excellence. To
qualify for the awards, hospitals must
achieve at least 90 percent
compliance with stringent
standards guidelines.
Mayo Clinic received
awards for performance
excellence for the treatment
of acute myocardial
infarction and high reliability
for surgical infection prevention care.
“These prestigious awards pay
tribute to the hard work of the entire
Mayo team,” says Victor Trastek, M.D.,
CEO of Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus.
“They reflect a commitment to
providing the highest quality care to
the patients we serve.”
■
Demetrius Maraganore, M.D.,
Mayo Clinic neurologist
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