Nellore: Genetic treatment will be available by 2020 for nerve cell degeneration, for which there is no definite treatment so far, said Dr Sanjeev V. Thomas, professor of neurology at Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram,
Dr Thomas, who is also president of the Indian Academy of Neurology, was speaking to this newspaper on the sidelines of national conference in neurology held here. The conference is organised jointly by Apollo Hospitals and Dr Bindu Menon Foundation of Nellore.
By introducing genes or gene products, the premature death of nerve cells is being prevented and people are surviving, which could not be imagined earlier, Dr Thomas said. Clinical trials pertaining to genetics carried out abroad are very successful. “You will see this treatment two years down the line” he said.
Dr Thomas said genetic treatment has helped kids suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This is a muscle disease that affects about one in 5,000 children. Children suffering from the disease are perfectly all right for the three years, then they find difficulty in climbing. By the age of 6 or 12 they are wheelchair bound and die in another three years.
Gene-related treatment is very expensive and the government should facilitate its delivery to the people. “In case of stroke we have very good medicines available, for epilepsy we can do surgery, for Parkinson disease we had one or two medicines in the past but now we have medicines as well as electrical simulation, Dr Thomas said.
Referring to epilepsy patients, Dr Manjari Tripathym professor of neurology at AIIMS, Delhi advised to intranasal midazolam, which can be given through the nose. Patients or their relatives should carry this for emergencies, she said. She said patients must be comfortable at the time of seizure and nothing should be put in their mouth.
