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

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.

Study Examines How Caregiver Strain Affects Patients

People with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to report a good quality of life if their caregivers are not strained, a new study suggests. “As caregiver strain was found to be related to patients’ QoL [quality of life], improvement in QoL for PD [Parkinson’s disease] patients may hinge on…

Rehab Center Will Test Outpatient Monitoring System

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, a rehabilitation center located in Chicago, Illinois, will conduct a study that will use Datos Health‘s remote care platform Open Care to monitor physical activity in people with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. “The research study will allow us to determine the feasibility…

Video-based AI System Approved in China for Use in Parkinson’s

Nervtex’s MoDAS artificial intelligence (AI) system has become the first video-based, AI-powered medical device to win regulatory approval for assessing motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, according to a company press release. The AI system, which analyzes motor symptoms based on video recorded on a…

NOS2 Exhibits Therapeutic Potential in Mouse Study

Suppressing the production of an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) led to reductions in alpha-synuclein-related abnormalities and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. “Our data indicate that NOS2 may be a therapeutic target for modulating [Parkinson’s disease] in the brain,” the…

FDA Lifts Hold on IkT-148009; Trial to Resume Soon

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted its full clinical hold on IkT-148009, Inhibikase Therapeutics’ investigational oral therapy for Parkinson’s disease. The agency had placed a hold on all clinical trials of IkT-158009 in December, just a few months after Inhibikase had begun dosing Parkinson’s patients in a …

Exergame-based Program Shown to Be Feasible for Parkinson’s Rehab

A cognitive-motor training program featuring a video game platform that promotes exercise is feasible for people with Parkinson’s disease to use, a new study demonstrates. Patients using the program along with standard rehabilitation showed comparable and greater motor and cognitive improvements relative to those on standard rehabilitation alone. These preliminary…