Catarina Silva, MSc,  —

Parkinson’s disease-related protein Parkin may rely on another protein called MITOL to repair damaged mitochondria, the small organelles that provide energy to cells and, when defective, can damage brain nerve cells. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may help improve Parkinson’s therapies that intend to boost Parkin activity. The study…

Connexin-32 — a protein found in small channels between nerve cells and involved in cell-to-cell communication — works to progress Parkinson’s disease by binding to alpha-synuclein and spreading toxic protein clumps throughout the brain, research suggests. The study, “Binding of α-synuclein oligomers to Cx32 facilitates protein uptake and transfer in…

Chrysin, a chemical commonly found in plants, may ease behavioral, cognitive, and neurochemical changes in Parkinson’s disease, according to a mouse study. The study, “Chrysin protects against behavioral, cognitive and neurochemical alterations in a 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Neuroscience Letters. Studies…

One amino acid change in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, which provides instructions for a protein important to neuronal survival, may be associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease patients, a study has found. The study, “BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s…

Intensive singing interventions have the potential to increase vocal loudness, respiratory muscle strength, and voice-related quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “ParkinSong: A Controlled Trial of Singing-Based Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease,” was published…

A wearable device called Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) can continuously and objectively monitor motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease, which can help clinicians select the most appropriate management therapy and assess treatment impact, a study finds. The study, “Objective Data in Parkinson’s Disease: A Description of Over 27,000…

In contrast to what was observed in mice, a hypertension medicine called Dynacirc (isradipine) failed to slow Parkinson’s disease progression in humans, according to Phase 3 clinical trial results. However, “the study did not fail,” according to Tanya Simuni, MD, who presented “A Phase 3 study of…

Impel NeuroPharma has developed an inhaler to administrate a powder formulation of levodopa (L-DOPA) so people with Parkinson’s disease can more easily manage their symptoms. Evidence of the potential of this new treatment strategy was presented at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting in Philadelphia,…

Treatment with intranasal insulin — which is atomized into a spray and inhaled through the nose — may ease Parkinson’s disease-related cognitive impairment and motor symptoms without dangerously lowering blood sugar levels, according to a proof-of-concept trial. The study, “Safety and preliminary efficacy of intranasal insulin for…

Patient enrollment and dosing is now complete for International Stem Cell Corporation’s (ISCO) Phase 1 trial testing its ISC-hpNSC neural stem cells — a cellular therapy that offers a new approach for treating Parkinson’s disease. “We are excited to announce the completion of enrollment of the world’s first approved human…