Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital

The JoongAng Ilbo held an interview with Dr. Ernesto Carafoli at Lotte Hotel on October 25, 2010. Dr. Carafoli is a professor of Biochemistry at the University of Padova School of Medicine, Italy. He was interviewed by the JoongAng Ilbo on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases. The Interview was also attended by Dr. Hong-Ki Song, professor of Neurology at Hallym University College of Medicine and Dr. Eun-Kyoung Choi, professor of Ilsong Institute of Life Science at Hallym University.

Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases;
the development of calcium-related innovative therapeutics is under way

‘Neurodegenerative diseases’, which are incurable because of their unknown causes, can be named ‘a disease in the darkness’. ‘Alzheimer’s disease (AD)’ that impairs one’s intellectual ability tops the list. Parkinson’s disease (PD) also belongs to them, and it is a progressive movement disorders characterized by muscle rigidity and tremors of the hands and limbs. Neurodegenerative diseases are like divine punishment to patients themselves and their families since it is accompanied by cognitive declines and incontinence. It is a geriatric disease that needs global attention if a country is running into aging society. Some experts are giving an outlook that the number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases will be up to 126 million in 2050. Hallym University which has been advancing the study on neurodegenerative diseases through operating the Neurological Center, the Dementia Prevention Center and the Stroke Center arranged an academic forum to discuss the current research progress of neurodegenerative diseases. Hallym University and the University of Padova jointly held ‘The 1st Hallym-Padova International Symposium’ on October 18, titled ‘Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Diseases’. There was a round-table talk to discuss the magnitude of neurodegenerative diseases and its new approaches in therapeutic strategies by attending 3 speakers, Ernesto Carafoli (Dept. of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Padova) Dr. Eun-Kyoung Choi (Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University) and Dr. Hong-Ki Song (Dept. of Neurology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital).

Dr. Hong-Ki Song: With rapid growing of aging population, we expect an increase in the number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases that occur after middle age.

Dr. Ernesto Carafoli: Some diseases are treated and become cured by newly developed vaccines and drugs, while the others remain incurable because they are emerging disorders or because their root causes are unknown. The most representative one is neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, 27 million people in the world are suffering from AD that accumulates amyloid protein in the brain. Half of all AD patients are Asian people. The cause(s) of this disease, however, has not been identified yet. According to an estimate of Johns Hopkins University, the number of AD patients will rise up to 126 million in 2050.

Dr. Eun-Kyoung Choi: There are more than 420,000 dementia patients among Korea’s elderly population over 65. The number of these patients will reach one million by the year 2027. Given that 60% of dementia case is due to AD, neurodegenerative diseases will be a huge social problem.

Dr. Song: The occurrence of PD caused by impaired dopamine release in the substantia nigra is rapidly increasing, and 1% of elderly population over the age of 65 suffers from PD. Recently, we are highly concerned about the rising incidence of PD in people only in their 40s and 50s, and the case has increased by 40% for the last 4 years. However, the cause of this trend remains unknown.

Dr. Carafoli: Neurodegenerative diseases have a tremendous impact on our society and our quality of life. Since these diseases accompany with a cognitive dysfunction and impairment in self-care, it is a tragedy not only to patients themselves but also to their family members. In addition, a huge amount of social costs will be incurred.

Dr. Choi: Do they actively conduct studies on neurodegenerative diseases in advanced countries such as Europe?

Dr. Carafoli: There is the Co-Research Fund in the EU, and researchers from 25 member nations are carrying out collaborative research with it.

Dr. Choi: Today the biggest problem is that neurodegenerative diseases are incurable. All that we can do is to alleviate the symptoms and retard the progress of the diseases by medication or operations, because we do not know its fundamental causes. It has been reported that only about 5% of the cases are caused by genetic factors.

Dr. Song: Right. We could slow down their progress, and minimize the dysfunction only through early diagnosis and care, because it is not curable. It is so regrettable to see the patients who get worsened by misdiagnosed PD as Stroke followed by inappropriate treatment. Memory loss or lack of judgment in case of dementia patients should be observed by their families, and they should bring the suspected patients to the neurologists as soon as noticing their hands tremor and slowness of movement.

Dr. Choi: Neurodegenerative diseases with unknown causes and no particular therapeutic measures should find solutions through translational research between basic science and clinical medicine.

Dr. Carafoli: That’s true. Lately we pay much attention to calcium as an important key to overcome neurodegenerative diseases. Calcium, which is one of the essential nutrients, calcium plays a vital role as second messenger in cell signaling. If the balance of calcium, which is involved in the beginning of the generation of new cells to their death, becomes disrupted, it leads to neuronal cell death and develops neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Choi: We are planning to develop new therapeutic strategies by regulating calcium homeostasis through integrating calcium research by Dr. Carafoli and a protein study by Hallym University.

Dr. Song: There are also vibrant research programs on PD. Many of the major research institutions in the world including Hallym University are working to develop new therapeutic strategies such as transplantation of stem cells into substantia nigra.

Dr. Choi: Since we have discussed neurodegenerative diseases, aren’t you afraid of these diseases as a man at the age 78, Dr. Carafoli? (smile)

Dr. Carafoli: Of course I am. I have a relative who passed away with a neurodegenerative disease. But I’m now taking an optimistic view because active studies on the development of therapeutic medicine for the disease are being carried out by many excellent scholars all over the world including two of you, Dr. Choi and Dr. Song.

Translated by Jong Hun Im, Int'l Operations Team, HUMC (imjonghun@hallym.or.kr)