Joana Carvalho, PhD, managing science editor —

Scientists have discovered that the individual contribution of gene variants known to increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease can be influenced by other genes and dictate disease age of onset. These findings, from the study “SNCA and mTOR Pathway Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Interact to Modulate the Age at…

Parkinson’s patients whose tremors respond poorly to dopaminergic medications are likely experiencing abnormal brain activity outside the brain’s dopaminergic system, a study finds. The results, “Cerebral differences between dopamine-resistant and dopamine-responsive Parkinson’s tremor,” were published in the journal Brain. The main cause of motor…

High levels of corticosterone — a hormone that regulates energy, immune, and stress responses — is a risk factor for the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to a mouse study. The study, “Chronic corticosterone aggravates behavioural and neuronal symptomatology in a mouse model of alpha-synuclein…

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) — a molecule that is involved in immune and inflammatory responses — accelerates brain inflammation and degeneration in animal models of Parkinson’s disease, a study has found. The research, “IL-17A exacerbates neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration by activating microglia in rodent models of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

A saliva test to detect oral microbes may offer an accurate way of detecting Parkinson’s in its early stages and further understanding of the disease, a study reports. The findings, “The oral microbiome of early stage Parkinson’s disease and its relationship with functional measures of motor and non-motor function,”…

Treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), an FDA-approved medicine for multiple sclerosis, can restore motor function and biochemical markers in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The findings, “Glatiramer Acetate Reverses Motor Dysfunction and the Decrease in 9 Tyrosine Hydroxylase Levels…

Midbrain area measurements can be used to distinguish patients with Parkinson’s disease from those with progressive supranuclear palsy, a study finds. The study, “Midbrain area for differentiating Parkinson’s disease from progressive supranuclear palsy,” was published in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery. Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), the second…

Alpha-synuclein levels in the gut are linked to Parkinson’s disease, indicating that gut alpha-synuclein may be used in combination with other disease biomarkers to facilitate patients’ diagnosis, a review study found. The study, “Diagnostic utility of gut α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and…

Positive preclinical and Phase 1 clinical data support further assessment of Aptinyx‘s investigational compound NYX-458 for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease in new Phase 2 studies. Aptinyx expects to launch a new Phase 2 clinical study in Parkinson’s patients this year, the company…

Abbott is partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the use of its neuromodulation technologies for treating chronic pain and progressive movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. The partnership’s goal is to drive forward the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies initiative, known as…