We know that there are more than 1 million Americans who live with Parkinson’s disease, with 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The average age of onset is 60 years old, though people have been diagnosed as young as 18 years old.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder that results from degeneration and premature death of dopamine-producing brain cells. A neurochemical that controls the communication among brain cells, dopamine is responsible for control of motor function. Eighty percent of dopamine-producing cells are lost before the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease even appear.

James Parkinson, a British scientist first described "the shaking palsy" in an essay, published in 1817. It was through this essay that he defined what we know as Parkinson’s disease today: "involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power, in parts not in action and even when supported; with a propensity to bend the trunk forwards, and to pass from a walking to a running pace: the senses and intellects being uninjured."

Although Parkinson’s disease affects different people in different ways, symptoms generally include tremor, muscle stiffness or rigidity, slowness of movement (called ‘bradykinesia’), and loss of balance. While medication masks some symptoms for a limited period, generally four to eight years, dose-limiting side-effects do occur after time. Eventually the medications lose their effectiveness, leaving the victim unable to move, speak or swallow.

"I am here to tell you that administering a successful research program is not rocket science. It is mostly common sense and the will to get things done. And we're going to get this done." — Michael J. Fox

We do not know what causes Parkinson’s disease. However, scientists and researchers believe a combination of genetic and environmental factors may be involved. In January 1999, Journal of the American Medical Association researchers concluded that genetic factors play a role of varying degrees in the development of Parkinson’s. And in October 2003, scientists at the NIH discovered that too much of the alpha-synuclein gene could cause Parkinson’s disease. The findings indicate that genetic components could play a more significant role in Parkinson’s disease, though environmental factors are still being considered as well.

Click here to watch the movie Regenerative Medicine: Pathways to Cures.