Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

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.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has responded to Affiris‘  pre-investigational new drug (IND) submission regarding a planned Phase 2 clinical trial of the potential Parkinson’s vaccine Affitope (PD01A). After reviewing previous preclinical and clinical data, the FDA answered questions posed by the company…

A new small molecule called synucleozid can prevent cells from producing the Parkinson’s-associated protein alpha-synuclein by inhibiting its translation from RNA, a study shows. The study, “Translation of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein is inhibited by a small molecule targeting its structured mRNA,” was published in…

People with Parkinson’s disease taking part in the Fox Insight study, where they self-report details about their illness, share similar clinical and demographic features with patients brought through more traditional ways into large data studies, researchers report. This finding suggests that groups recruited exclusively online can be useful to Parkinson’s…

Stimulating the growth of blood vessels in the brain through the use of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) may hold promise as a strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease, according to a white paper released by Zhittya Genesis Medicine (ZGM). Clinical trials testing this theory are being planned.

A decade after its founding, the International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC) is looking back on on its first 10 years of research and outlining its goals for the future. IPDGC was started in 2009 by a small group of researchers who thought that collaborative efforts were necessary to…