Injections of a protein called sonic hedgehog into the brains of people with Parkinson's disease may be able to restore the number of dopamine-producing cells in the brain and safeguard them from further damage. Neurons situated in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra normally make the neuro-transmitter dopamine, which conveys signals chemically to other nerve cells in the brain. In people with Parkinson's disease, the dopamine-making neurons gradually die. People with the disease slowly lose control of their movements, and suffer from tremors and shakes.
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