Gene therapy to the rescue in Parkinson's disease

Over a century ago, an influenza epidemic caused widespread parkinsonism; thus, it seems ironic that viral vectors might provide a new therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, a recent study presents a series of elegant experiments that demonstrate the restorative and protective effects of a glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), delivered by lentiviral vectors, in the brains of both old and parkinsonian primates. These techniques might hold promise for PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.