Parkin protein deficiency — which is associated with early onset Parkinson’s disease — is only detrimental when dopamine-producing neurons undergo a metabolic switch as they mature, a new study reported. Under such conditions, nerve cells lacking in parkin cannot effectively recycle damaged mitochondria (the cells’ powerhouses, or energy sources), significantly…
The first patients have been dosed in three Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the safety and effectiveness of tavapadon, Cerevel Therapeutics’ lead investigational oral therapy, in people with Parkinson’s disease. The studies, which were paused temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will test tavapadon as a…
The most common mutation associated with Parkinson’s disease — called LRRK2-G2019S — results in abnormal global protein production that increases the levels of calcium within dopamine-producing neurons, likely making them more vulnerable to degeneration, a study suggests. “Mapping out this progression of events is an important advancement in…
Higher levels of unacylated-ghrelin, the most prevalent form of ghrelin (acyl-ghrelin) — a gut hormone with neuroprotective properties — suppress nerve cell growth in the hippocampus to affect spatial memory, according to a study in mice. Importantly, the study team also found unacylated-ghrelin levels to be higher-than-normal in people…
Roche, in partnership with Prothena, will launch a Phase 2b clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of prasinezumab (PRX002/RG7935) — an antibody against the alpha-synuclein protein — in people with early stage Parkinson’s disease, including those on stable levodopa treatment. The decision was based on positive data from a…
The association between dopamine levels and electric brain signals called beta waves — thought to be of an opposite nature based on data from people with Parkinson’s disease — is more complex than previously thought, a study in non-human primates shows. The data, collected through a new chemo-electric platform,…
In the presence of mitochondrial dysfunction, nerve cells (neurons) switch to an alternative metabolic program to resist neurodegeneration, according to a recent study in mice. Interestingly, the data suggested that such a metabolic program is not a one-way road to neurodegeneration, but rather a compensatory mechanism that can be reversed…
The levels of two types of fatty molecules — anandamide and glucocerebroside — are significantly altered in people with Parkinson’s disease, and associate with sensory nerve damage and chronic pain, a study reported. These findings suggest that patients with sensory problems and pain may benefit from available…
A new dietary silicon-based antioxidant agent prevented neurodegeneration, and motor balance and coordination problems, in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. By promoting production of the antioxidant molecule hydrogen, the agent  also was shown to prevent kidney failure in a rat model of chronic kidney disease, another…
Most people with late-stage Parkinson’s disease showed benefit from continued treatment with subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in a small study in Italy. The researchers also provided an algorithm intended to help guide treatment decisions for those with late-stage disease. Their study, “Should We Consider Deep…
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