Presentation on Gene Therapy for Brain Diseases

Most people think of viruses as causing serious illnesses such as AIDS, influenza, and polio. However, neuroscientists are harnessing the positive qualities of viruses to develop novel gene therapies for diseases and injuries of the brain. Dr. Martha C. Bohn, a Professor at Children's Memorial Research Center, Northwestern University in Chicago, will be presenting a talk entitled "Viruses Offer Cures! Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Disease and Other Brain Diseases" on Tuesday, January 27th at the Copper Mountain Resort, Village Square-Ponderosa from 7:30-9:00 pm. Time will be allowed for questions, and refreshments will be served.

Dr. Bohn will discuss how gene therapy works and how it is being developed to try to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases and injuries. By removing the viral genes and replacing these with therapeutic genes, viruses become vehicles for getting genes into cells that may combat disease. This is particularly useful for diseases of the brain, an organ that is complex and difficult to treat using conventional drugs.

Dr. Bohn maintains an active research program funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the State of Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute. Her research findings have been featured in the news media, including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Science magazine, and others. She has lectured nationally and internationally and has published over 100 articles in scientific journals and books.

Dr. Bohn’s talk, a "town meeting" for all residents of Summit County, is an annual event sponsored by the Winter Conference for Brain Research, an international meeting of over 500 neuroscientists, held this year at Copper Mountain from Jan 24-30, 2009. Other Outreach activities include visits to local schools by neuroscientists to introduce children to a variety of aspects of nervous system function.