一項(xiàng)將藥物直接導(dǎo)入患者大腦中的、具有顛覆性的帕金森病療法已在人身上進(jìn)行了測(cè)試。在試驗(yàn)中,一組患者接受了這類治療,即藥物通過(guò)頭部一側(cè)的開(kāi)口注入大腦;另一組則接受了 “安慰劑療法”。
Parkinson's causes parts of the brain to become progressively damaged, resulting in a range of symptoms such as involuntary shaking and stiff, inflexible muscles. Now British scientists have, for the first time, given a protein called GDNF directly into the brain in the hope that it could regenerate dying cells and even reverse the condition.
帕金森病導(dǎo)致部分大腦逐漸受損,引發(fā)一系列癥狀,比如無(wú)意識(shí)的顫抖和肌肉僵硬、不靈活等。現(xiàn)在,英國(guó)科學(xué)家首次將一種名為 “膠質(zhì)細(xì)胞源性神經(jīng)營(yíng)養(yǎng)因子” 的蛋白質(zhì)直接注入大腦,希望這樣做可以讓瀕死的細(xì)胞再生,甚至逆轉(zhuǎn)病情。
41 participants underwent robot-assisted surgery to have four tubes screwed into their brains, which allowed GDNF to be infused to the affected areas with pinpoint accuracy via a port in their head.
41 名參與者接受了機(jī)器人輔助手術(shù),手術(shù)將四根導(dǎo)管插入大腦,這使得膠質(zhì)細(xì)胞源性神經(jīng)營(yíng)養(yǎng)因子通過(guò)頭部的開(kāi)口極其精確地注入病變區(qū)域。
In the study, some patients received the protein and others received a placebo. Both groups showed improved symptoms, so it's not clear if the protein was responsible for the benefits. However, scans did find evidence of improvement to affected areas of the brain in those given GDNF.
在這項(xiàng)研究中,給一些患者注入了蛋白質(zhì),而給另一些患者使用了安慰劑。兩組患者的癥狀均有所改善,所以目前還不清楚這是不是蛋白質(zhì)起到的作用。但腦部掃描結(jié)果的確顯示,在那些給予蛋白質(zhì)的患者中,腦內(nèi)的病變區(qū)域得到了改善。
Researchers hope that further trials could look at increasing the doses of GDNF for the duration of treatment. While this is far from a cure for those with Parkinson's, it may provide some hope to the millions of sufferers around the world.
研究者們希望進(jìn)一步的試驗(yàn)可以著眼于在治療期間增加膠質(zhì)細(xì)胞源性神經(jīng)營(yíng)養(yǎng)因子的劑量。盡管這還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不能治愈帕金森病患者,但它或許能給世界各地?cái)?shù)百萬(wàn)帕金森患者帶來(lái)一絲希望。
progressively 逐漸地
symptoms 癥狀
protein 蛋白質(zhì)
regenerate 再生
infused 被注入
pinpoint accuracy 高精確度
placebo 安慰劑
benefits 益處、好處
a cure 治愈方法
1. True or false? The GDNF protein is inserted into the brain using a pin.
2. What is hoped will happen to the cells in someone's brain when the protein GDNF is inserted into it?
3. What did scans show about those patients given GDNF protein?
4. To what extent is this trial a solution for curing Parkinson's?
1. True or false? The GDNF protein is inserted into the brain using a pin.
False. The GDNF is inserted into someone's brain via a test tube using pinpoint accuracy.
2. What is hoped will happen to the cells in someone's brain when the protein GDNF is inserted into it?
Scientists hope giving a protein called GDNF directly into the brain, could regenerate dying cells and even reverse the condition.
3. What did scans show about those patients given GDNF protein?
Scans found evidence of improvement to affected areas of the brain in those given GDNF.
4. To what extent is this trial a solution for curing Parkinson's?
This trial does not provide a solution and the reporter says "this is far from cure for those with Parkinson's" but it may provide some hope to the millions of sufferers around the world.