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Science Friday > Archives > 2003 > August > August 22, 2003:
Hour One: Distributed Generation / Gene Therapy for Parkinson's

This past Monday, surgeons began a clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease -- the first-ever in vivo gene therapy in the brain. While the trial is what is known as a 'Phase 1' clinical trial, studying only the safety of the procedure and not whether or not it works, the trial was heralded as a sign of hope for patients with Parkinson's disease. We'll hear about how a gene therapy treatment for Parkinson's might work, and talk about the prospects for gene therapy in medicine.

Plus, we'll follow up on last week's power outage in the Northeast. While millions were without power, some homes, businesses, and factories in affected areas were able to keep the lights on. We'll hear about factories, businesses, and communities that generate some of their own power--can the process, known as 'distributed generation,' help lighten the load on the power grid?

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Guests:
Stephen Connors
Director, Analysis Group for Regional Electricity Alternatives
Laboratory for Energy and the Environment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Robert Buckler
President and Chief Operating Officer
DTE Energy Distribution
Detroit, Michigan

Michael Kaplitt, MD PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Director, Center for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College
New York, New York

Theodore Friedmann, M.D.
Chair, Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee
National Institutes of Health
Professor, Pediatrics
Muriel Jeannette Whitehill Chair in Biomedical Ethics
Director, Program in Human Gene Therapy
University of California San Diego
San Diego, California

Books/Articles Discussed:
 


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Related Links:
IHT: Risky gene therapy trial aims at Parkinson's
BBC NEWS | Health | Gene therapy for Parkinson's
CNN.com - Gene therapy for Parkinson's disease begins - Aug. 19, ...
NINDS Parkinson's Disease Information Page
MEDLINEplus: Parkinson's Disease
:: American Parkinson Disease Association ::Home
National Parkinson Foundation, Inc.
PDF - Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Inc.
Parkinson's Action
The Parkinson's Alliance
The Parkinson's Web
Michael J. Fox Foundation - Home

EERE: Power - Distributed Generation
energy.gov : DOE Home
Distributed Power Coalition of America (DPCA)
IEEE P1547 Draft Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems
Home Power Magazine
REPP: HOME

This segment produced by Karin Vergoth

 


 

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