Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Tai chi improves motor function in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and may slow down disease progression, a new study has found. The study, “Tai Chi versus routine exercise in patients with early- or mild-stage Parkinson’s disease: a retrospective cohort analysis,” was published…

A new technique using tiny bubbles and ultrasound waves could ease the way for gene therapy to be delivered to the central nervous system, a mouse study suggests. The technique had a neuroprotective effect on mice, and those treated to model Parkinson’s showed improvements in measurements of motor function,…

Aggregates of the Parkinson’s disease-associated protein alpha-synuclein can spread from the gut to the brain in mice, but this process is dependent on aging, likely as a result of altered protein dynamics, a new study suggests. The study, “Gut-seeded α-synuclein fibrils promote gut dysfunction and brain pathology…

Oncodesign and Servier have reached the first key milestone months ahead of schedule in their partnership to develop LRRK2 inhibitors for Parkinson’s disease, the companies announced in a press release. “The collaboration works perfectly and both teams are up to the challenges,” said Philippe Genne, PhD,…

Mexico’s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) has granted approval for the first in-human clinical trial of Zhittya Genesis Medicine‘s (ZGM)’s investigational therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is characterized by the death of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. A hypothesis that has gained traction in…

Using a light-activated protein to improve the function of mitochondria — cells’ powerhouses— could be a therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease (PD), a new study done in flies suggests. The results of the study, “Light-driven activation of mitochondrial proton-motive force improves motor behaviors in a…

Genetic variations in the gene apolipoprotein E (APOE) alter the dynamics of alpha-synuclein protein buildup in the brains of mice with Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to a new study. This suggests suggests that alterations in APOE could affect the occurrence of dementia in humans with the neurodegenerative…

Assessing the shape of alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain helps to distinguish between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and another progressive neurodegenerative disorder known as multiple system atrophy (MSA), a study suggests. The study, “Discriminating α-synuclein strains in Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy,” was published in Nature. Parkinson’s…

Aptinyx‘s investigational oral compound NYX-458 was able to ease cognitive difficulties in a non-human primate model of Parkinson’s disease, including attention, working memory and executive thinking, a study reports. Its findings also suggest that NYX-458 — now in a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT04148391) enrolling patients across…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance to Qynapse‘s QyScore, a software that aids in analyzing brain scans taken by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The software, which is compatible with routine imaging workflows, includes an advanced user interface and automatically-generated patient reports.