Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

Selonterra awarded $2.5M for Parkinson’s genetics therapies

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded a $2.5 million grant to Selonterra to support new therapeutic approaches targeting genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease. “The contribution of genetics to Parkinson’s disease is undisputed,” Anne Urfer-Buchwalder, PhD, co-founder and president of Selonterra, said in…

Fatty molecule may mark treatment efficacy with common mutations

Levels of a fatty molecule called Bis(monacylglycerol) phosphate, or BMP, are significantly elevated in the urine of people with certain LRRK2 and GBA1 mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. Measuring urinary BMP levels could be a useful way of gauging the effectiveness of potential treatments that target…

Cholesterol-lowering drug aids mitochondria in Parkinson’s models

Probucol, a cholesterol-lowering medication previously used in Western countries, improved motor function and lengthened the lifespan of treated animals in models of Parkinson’s disease, a study found. Identified as a potential Parkinson’s treatment through an artificial intelligence (AI)-based search, probucol was found to promote mitophagy, the cellular pathway that recycles…

Inflammation elevated in brains of newly diagnosed patients

Inflammation in the brain is detectable at the earliest stages of Parkinson’s disease and even before treatment is begun, a new study reports. The findings support the idea that inflammation may be an early driver of Parkinson’s itself, rather than merely a byproduct of the disease’s neurodegeneration, the researchers…

GFAP protein levels may help predict dementia risk in Parkinson’s

Levels of the GFAP protein in blood are significantly higher in Parkinson’s disease patients with cognitive impairment — particularly those with dementia — compared with healthy people, a new study shows. According to researchers, blood GFAP levels could accurately identify Parkinson’s patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who ended…

Izar device trains hand function in neurological disease

A new device called Izar that aims to help assess and train hand function for people with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease is now available in the U.S., as well as in European countries including France, Switzerland, and Germany. According to its manufacturer, MindMaze, the hand-sized device is…

Parkinson’s mutations can alter inflammatory immune responses

People with sporadic Parkinson’s disease and those with Parkinson’s-associated mutations in the GBA gene show a distinct immune cell profile in the blood relative to healthy people, a study showed. In turn, Parkinson’s patients carrying disease-causing LRRK2 mutations had an immune cell profile comparable to people without any disease.