The last decade has been a frustrating time for investigators who had envisioned major advances in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease using neurotrophic factors. The first trials of glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor for treating Parkinson’s disease were very promising. Later blinded control trials were disappointing, not reaching the predetermined outcomes for improvement in motor function. Consideration of the problems in the studies as well as the biology of the neurotrophins used can potentially lead to more effective therapies. Parkinson’s disease presents a multitude of opportunities for the cell biologist wanting to understand its pathology and to find possible new avenues for treatment.

中文翻译：

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提高 GDNF 家族配体的治疗潜力

过去十年对于那些设想使用神经营养因子治疗帕金森病取得重大进展的研究人员来说是一段令人沮丧的时期。胶质细胞源性神经营养因子治疗帕金森病的首批试验非常有希望。后来的盲对照试验令人失望，没有达到改善运动功能的预定结果。考虑研究中的问题以及所用神经营养素的生物学可能会导致更有效的治疗。帕金森病为想要了解其病理学并寻找可能的新治疗途径的细胞生物学家提供了大量机会。