Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

Parkinson’s therapy Bemdaneprocel shows benefits up to 2 years

Patients treated with bemdaneprocel, a cell therapy that Bluerock Therapeutics is developing for Parkinson’s disease, continue to spend more time with well-controlled symptoms and less time in off periods, when symptoms aren’t adequately controlled despite medication use. That’s according to final data from exPDite (NCT04802733), a completed…

COYA 302 combination therapy tames brain inflammation in mice

Subcutaneous, or under-the-skin, injections of COYA 302, a combination therapy in development by Coya Therapeutics, were found to reduce excessive inflammation and immune cell activation in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. These beneficial effects were observed in the nigrostriatal pathway, a brain circuit responsible for motor control,…

Study review highlights limits of levodopa effectiveness

Note: This story was updated Sept. 16, 2024, to correct that A-dopamine is a form of dopamine. Levodopa, a mainstay in treating Parkinson’s disease, isn’t always well absorbed by the brain or digestive tract, doesn’t last long in the body, and often loses effectiveness with age and disease…

APDA awards $2.6M to support Parkinson’s research projects

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has awarded a total of $2.6 million for the 2024-2025 funding year, to support a range of research projects that aim to advance understanding of Parkinson’s disease. The nationwide grassroots network increased its funding package by more than 30% over last year,…