Joana Fernandes, PhD,  —

Researchers have learned more about the true role of alpha-synuclein, a faulty protein involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The findings of a recent study add insight into what goes…

Researchers are one step closer to fully understanding how a group of proteins, called the AMPA receptors, work — potentially gaining an insight into how neurological diseases like Parkinson’s develop in the brain, a new study reports. These findings may also help in the design of new treatment approaches. The study, titled…

Prana Biotechnology and Takeda Pharmaceuticals International are teaming up to investigate whether Prana’s PBT434 can improve gastrointestinal damage associated with Parkinson’s disease. PBT434 showed promise as a treatment for neuronal loss and movement problems in mice with Parkinson’s, according to a preclinical-trial study. The collaboration will deal with…

A new study has found that Parkinson’s disease is associated with changes in the visual system, a feature that can be detected earlier than the most common symptoms of the disease, suggesting it could be used as a biomarker to follow disease progression. The study “Visual System Involvement in Patients with…

U.S. government researchers have developed a computerized mathematical model for predicting and testing cognitive decline in Parkinson’s patients. The team from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke used information on 3,200 Parkinson’s cases in North America and Europe to develop the algorithm. The model could help doctors do…

Xadago (safinamide) is now available in the U.S. as an add-on treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease currently taking levodopa/carbidopa to control their “off” episodes, according to an announcement from Newron Pharmaceuticals and US WordMeds. Photo credit: Business Wire Xadago is the first medication approved in…

An enzyme called asparagine endopeptidase may participate in the development of Parkinson’s disease by cleaving alpha-synuclein protein into toxic fragments, according to new research. The study, “Asparagine endopeptidase cleaves α-synuclein and mediates pathologic activities in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. The…

Treatment with Prana Biotechnology’s investigational drug PBT434 showed potential in preventing neuronal death in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study. Results showed that PBT434 blocked the formation of alpha-synuclein aggregates, a hallmark of Parkinson’s, and normalized iron levels in the brain, thereby protecting neurons…

Treatment with a drug called CLR01 improved balance and movement coordination in mice with early stage Parkinson’s disease, according to results of a new preclinical study. Researchers said CLR01 acts by decreasing the amount of unstable alpha-synuclein, one of the two forms of the protein existing in the brain, and…

Treatment with statins may accelerate the development of Parkinson’s disease in people already at risk for this disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine. The study, “Projection of the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in the coming decades: Revisited,” appeared in the journal…