Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

TreeFrog Therapeutics’ investigational cell therapy restored motor function in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent presentation. The therapy, designed to replace the dopamine-producing nerve cells lost in Parkinson’s, involves transplanting a three-dimensional “microtissue” that contains the cells directly into the brain. Kevin Alessandri, PhD,…

A widening of tiny, fluid-filled spaces in certain brain regions could be used as an imaging marker of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in people with Parkinson’s disease, a study showed. Perivascular spaces, or PVSs, were larger in Parkinson’s patients with LID — a condition in which standard Parkinson’s medications…

A 3D-printed, high-resolution model of the brain has been developed that will offer a promising tool for advancing research into neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Dubbed a “brain phantom,” the models were made to mimic the small structural details of nerve cells in the brain, but they aren’t…

Increasing levels of a gut metabolite — a molecule that results from the digestion of certain foods — eased neurodegeneration and improved motor function in a worm model of Parkinson’s disease, a study found. Researchers identified a feedback loop in which nerve cell accumulation of alpha-synuclein, the protein that…

An artificial intelligence (AI)-based software called NetraAI was able to separate subgroups of Parkinson’s disease patients based on their gene activity patterns, helping to better understand the complex pathways that contribute to the neurodegenerative disease. Through the analysis, scientists identified immune signaling as an important disease-related process. The function…

A Phase 1/2a clinical trial evaluating TED-A9, a human stem cell-based therapy, in people with Parkinson’s disease has finished dosing with no safety concerns identified to date. The therapy, delivered as a cell transplant directly into the brain, was given successfully to 12 adults diagnosed with Parkinson’s…

Visual and auditory cues delivered via an augmented reality (AR) headset were found to be feasible for adjusting gait among healthy young adults in a small recent study. Cues like the ones provided in the study have been proposed for improving gait in people with Parkinson’s disease, however, many…

Treatment with CNM-Au8, an investigational gold nanocrystal suspension therapy, boosted energy production in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS) in a pair of Phase 2 trials, indicating the medication works as intended. Findings also suggest functional gains in treated Parkinson’s patients. However,…

Men with Parkinson’s disease exhibit more signs of accelerated brain aging than do women with the neurodegenerative condition, according to a new analysis that, its researchers say, bolsters the existing idea that a person’s sex plays a key role in Parkinson’s risk and progression. These findings were established by…

A Phase 2b trial testing the ability of IRLAB Therapeutics’ investigational oral therapy pirepemat to reduce falls in people with Parkinson’s disease is now expected to complete enrollment by September. Recruitment began last May and was initially expected to finish by the end of 2023, but the…