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

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.

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…

ATH434 Preserves Sense of Smell, Aids Neurons in Mouse Model

ATH434, Alterity Therapeutics’ experimental oral therapy, prevented a loss in the sense of smell — an early and common symptom of Parkinson’s disease — in a mouse model, and helped to preserve nerve cells and restore motor skills in older animals, a study showed. These findings add to those…