Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Treatment with zonisamide — an approved epilepsy medication — can reduce “off” time without worsening treatment side effects in people with Parkinson’s disease, a new analysis of Japanese clinical trial data shows. Notably, the use of zonisamide did not increase dyskinesia, the uncontrolled, involuntary movements common among…

The activity of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, called GCase, is not tied to the risk of developing Parkinson’s, nor linked with the disease’s severity, a new analysis from Israel indicates. “We did not find an association with risk for” the early signs or symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, the researchers wrote,…

Once-a-day treatment with oral ANVS401 was found to significantly improve motor skills among Parkinson’s disease patients in a Phase 2a clinical trial. Annovis Bio, the company developing ANVS401, is now planning to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss possibly initiating larger Phase 3 studies. “We…

Treatment with an investigational medicine called SBT-272 markedly eased signs of Parkinson’s disease in a mouse model, according to its developer Stealth BioTherapeutics. “We are excited about the promise of SBT-272 as a potential therapeutic for neurodegenerative diseases,” Reenie McCarthy, the CEO of Stealth, said in a…

The spread of alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain is dependent on a protein receptor called TLR2, and also a transcription factor called NF-KB, a study indicates. Blocking these proteins — which may be done with medications inhaled through the nose — may be a useful therapeutic approach in Parkinson’s…

ParkinSense, an upcoming startup out of the University of Toronto, has secured funding to advance a new monitoring system that’s designed to better assess tremors and other motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease. The new funding will drive the company’s wearable device — which it hopes will help…

Changes in the genetic material of the sebum — the “oil” on the skin’s surface — are evident in people with Parkinson’s, and analyzing this skin surface lipid may aid in diagnosing the disease, scientists report. Their study, “Non-invasive diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease by sebum RNA…

An imbalance between the signaling molecules dopamine and sonic hedgehog in the brain may be the cause of the movement disorder caused by dopamine-replacing medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to findings published in Communications Biology, in the study, “Dopaminergic co-transmission with sonic hedgehog…

Taking inspiration from carnivorous plants, researchers in Korea have developed new technology that may increase the longevity of surgical devices implanted into the brain. The research may lead to improvements in deep brain stimulation (DBS) — a surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease that involves inserting a device that…

Using a novel approach, called Placebell, could help researchers in clinical trials to understand the placebo effect in people with Parkinson’s disease, and boost the strength of their findings. Researchers at Tools4Patient, which is developing Placebell, and other institutions presented data on the approach at the…