Alice Melão,  —

Genetic mutations and consequent impaired activity of mitochondria — known as the powerhouses of the cell — may be a first step contributing to the development of Parkinson’s disease later in life, a new study suggests. The study, “Neural Stem Cells…

Consumption of more than 40 milliliters (1.3 ounces) of milk per day is associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Still, dietary intake of yogurts or soured milk does not pose a risk, results from a large-scale Swedish study show. The study “…

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has approved a patent covering the composition and method of administration of a new levodopa replacement formulation for treating Parkinson’s disease. Lecigon was developed by Lobsor Pharmaceuticals to be the next-generation of Stalevo (marketed by Novartis), a widely used…

Parkinson’s disease (PD) could be identified through a noninvasive analysis of chemical components of sebum, the oily substance that helps keep skin and hair moisturized, a pilot study suggests. The study, “Discovery of Volatile Biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease from Sebum,” was published in the journal ACS…

Individuals with Parkinon’s disease who have worse quality of life due to their disease-related impairments may benefit most from treatment with deep-brain stimulation. The study with that finding, “Quality of life predicts outcome of deep brain stimulation in early Parkinson disease,”…

  Deep brain stimulation therapy can help lessen Parkinson’s symptoms, partly by increasing the number of mitochondria — cells’ powerhouses — in brain nerve cells, a study shows. The study, “Post mortem examination of Parkinson’s disease brains suggests decline in mitochondrial biomass, reversed by deep brain stimulation of…

AbbVie has launched a Phase 1 trial in the United States to assess the safety and tolerability of an investigational antibody targeting alpha-synuclein called ABBV-0805 in healthy volunteers. This study comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an investigational new drug application for ABBV-0805 in February.

In contrast to what was previously believed, a key protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease — called Nurr1 — can be modulated using naturally existing molecules or engineered small molecules to restore dopamine production in brain cells, according to a study. Conducted by researchers from the University of California San…

New preclinical data have shown for the first time the underlying mechanisms mediating the therapeutic activity of Anavex 2-73, an investigational therapy being evaluated for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Anavex Life Sciences’ investigational activator of the sigma-1 receptor…

Invasive treatment approaches for advanced Parkinson’s disease have differential effects on disease-associated motor and non-motor symptoms, a real-life observational study shows. These findings suggest that selection of a treatment should be based on each patient’s particular clinical profile, researchers say. The study, “EuroInf 2: Subthalamic…