More research is needed to understand how alpha-synuclein — a protein whose accumulation is characteristic of Parkinson’s disease — affects cells other than nerve cells, particularly microglia, the resident immune cell of the brain. A pair of researchers at the Van Andel Institute in Michigan raised this argument after…
Neuropathy, or nerve damage, was linked to abnormally low levels of the vitamins B6 and B12 in three people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a case report. “All patients were consecutively identified within one year at a single institution,” the researchers wrote, which suggests that neuropathy associated with low levels…
Reduced dopamine signaling leads to abnormal activity in the motor cortex— the part of the brain chiefly responsible for controlling movement — a new study in mice illustrates. This result helps to shed light on the biological underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease, which is characterized by abnormally low dopamine levels…
The first Parkinson’s patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial that is testing IkT-148009, an investigational oral therapy being developed by Inhibikase Therapeutics to slow or stop disease progression. “We are pleased to begin dosing patients in our Phase 1b study,” Milton Werner, PhD,…
People with Parkinson’s disease are significantly less likely than those without the neurodegenerative disorder to develop colorectal cancer, a type of cancer that begins in the final part of the digestive tract, a new meta-analysis suggests. In fact, the analysis showed that the risk of developing such cancer…
Nearly four of every 10 patients with Parkinson’s disease experience minor hallucinations, a new study from China estimates. Results suggest a link between minor hallucinations and Parkinson’s-related sleep problems. The study, “Prevalence and Risk Factors for Minor Hallucinations in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in …
A new research project seeks to better characterize the structural properties of alpha-synuclein, which researchers hope will lead to a better understanding of this protein’s toxic effects in Parkinson’s disease. One of the hallmark features of Parkinson’s is the formation of aggregates — “clumps” or “tangles” — of alpha-synuclein…
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…
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