Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

Periodontitis, or gum disease, may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a large population-based study conducted in South Korea. The highest risk was found for individuals with both periodontitis and metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2…

A new technique allowed researchers to label with specificity proteins inside neurons of the striatum — a brain region involved in voluntary movement control — within a living mouse. These findings may help scientists better understand the millions of distinct proteins in the brain and their interactions within neurons (nerve…

A Phase 1 clinical trial in the U.K. is recruiting patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s to assess MODAG Neuroscience Solutions‘ investigational oral therapy anle138b, which seeks to slow or halt disease progression. The trial (NCT04685265) will be conducted at a single site at Nottingham University Hospital,…

An upcoming Australian study will investigate the potential benefits of pool walking — walking in a swimming pool versus on land — to ease the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The study’s main goal, according to its researcher, is to determine whether such aquatic walking can ease the sudden…

The Parkinson’s Foundation has awarded over $2.2 million in community health grants to 143 programs that will benefit Parkinson’s disease patients across 42 U.S. states, as well as efforts in Australia and Taiwan. This year’s grants, which mark the program’s 10th year, range from $5,000 to a maximum of $25,000 and aim…

Forest Hills Lab announced that it has U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permission to open a Phase 2 trial into the tolerability and potential efficacy of FHL-301 in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. The double-blinded trial will randomly assign patients to the investigative treatment or to a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given fast track designation to the investigational cell therapy DA01, now in a clinical trial in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease. Developed by BlueRock Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer, DA01 is made up of dopamine-producing nerve cells derived from…

Ipsen has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Integrative Research Laboratories (IRLAB) to develop and commercialize mesdopetam, an experimental therapy for reducing levodopa-induced dyskinesia, or involuntary movements, in people with Parkinson’s disease. “We are excited to enter this licensing agreement with IRLAB. By working in partnership,…

A £1.375 ($1.9) million grant from the Edmond J. Safra Foundation will support a pioneering clinical trial aimed at speeding the development of new therapies for Parkinson’s disease. “This project will revolutionise the way we perform clinical trials of potentially disease-modifying drugs for people with Parkinson’s,” Thomas Foltynie, PhD, MD, a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Phase 3 trial to test multiple infusions of fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells — ones obtained from healthy donors — in people with Parkinson’s disease. The Hope Biosciences Stem Cell Research Foundation (HBSCRF), which received the authorization, already has a…