Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

Binding to, or chelating, toxic levels of iron in the brain can slow the progression of a neurodegenerative disorder known as pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), results from a Phase 3 trial show. These findings may be relevant for other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and…

The formation of alpha-synuclein aggregates in brain nerve cells (neurons) is thought to be one of the hallmarks of Parkinson disease. Researchers now have found that the activity of a single protein, called HYPE, may help halt alpha-synuclein accumulation and reduce its toxic outcomes, including neuronal death. These findings, “…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a generic equivalent to Sinemet (carbidopa/levodopa) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, according to a press release. The oral therapy, produced by India-based Alembic Pharmaceuticals, will be available as extended-release tablets containing either 50 mg…

Measuring the electric brain activity of people with Parkinson’s may be a non-invasive and accurate way of diagnosing the disease and monitoring response to treatment, a study suggests. The study, “Characteristics of Waveform Shape in Parkinson’s Disease Detected with Scalp Electroencephalography,” was published in the journal eNeuro. The…

Mutations in the LRRK2 gene, which have been linked to familial Parkinson’s disease, impair the activity of the waste clearance system inside nervous brain cells, contributing to their progressive degeneration, a study finds. Using a compound called clioquinol, researchers could restore the activity of lysosomes — the…

Mindfulness-based interventions can improve mental health status, including reduction of stress and anxiety levels, in family caregivers of veterans with Parkinson’s disease and other health issues, a study shows. The study, “A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Caregivers of Veterans,” was published in the…

A single-dose infusion of VY-AADC01, an investigational gene therapy, improves motor function and reduces the need for antiparkinsonian medications in advanced Parkinson’s disease patients, results from the Phase 1 PD-1102 clinical trial show. Trial findings were presented in a scientific poster, titled “PD-1102: A Phase 1 study of…

Understanding and identifying epigenetic changes may become a potential strategy for early Parkinson’s diagnosis, when patients still lack the characteristic symptoms of the disease, according to a recent study. The study, “DNA methylation changes associated with Parkinson’s disease progression: outcomes from the first longitudinal genome-wide methylation analysis in blood,” was…

A pilot project in the United Kingdom is testing a wrist device that is worn like a watch, called Personal Kinetigraph (PKG), to help Parkinson’s patients and their specialist healthcare providers to monitor their condition at home. The PKG, developed by Global Kinetics, will be tested in the “Developing Home-based Parkinson’s…

A project to identify new genes involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease has received $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The grant will be shared between researchers at Penn State University and the University of California, San Francisco. Genome wide association studies…