Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

Mutations in the LRRK2 gene, a major genetic factor contributing to Parkinson’s disease, may likely affect the risk for Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, researchers at Mount Sinai in New York discovered. The results suggest a potential genetic link between Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s and common disease…

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may help extend the survival of patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois. “Overall, DBS surgery has been viewed quite positively by both patients and providers,” Dr. Frances Weaver, the study’s…

Denali Therapeutics says its experimental therapy for Parkinson’s disease, DNL201 — a small-molecule inhibitor of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) — stopped an average 90 percent of LRRK2 kinase activity at its highest concentration. When the drug’s levels dropped to the lowest concentration (known as trough levels), it still inhibited…

Mutations of genes responsible for breaking down and recycling cell waste products may promote Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. Scientists have known for some time that deficiencies in these lysosomal storage genes cause Gaucher disease and other disorders. The study, “Excessive burden of lysosomal storage disorder gene…

Weight loss in Parkinson’s disease patients increases the risks for dementia and dependency care, and reduces patients’ life expectancy, according to a new study. These findings suggest that monitoring weight and timely dietary interventions to counteract weight loss may significantly improve the outcome of Parkinson’s disease patients. The study, “Early…

Patients with moderate-to-severe Parkinson’s disease who received human neural stem cells in their brain as part of a Phase 1 trial are performing better at six months than they were at the start of the study. Also, all patients are meeting the trial’s primary goal of safety, according to a…

Acorda Therapeutics announced that it will now monitor blood cell counts on a weekly basis in Parkinson’s disease patients enrolled in the company’s Phase 3 program investigating the safety and effectiveness of tozadenant. The update to the clinical trial responds to cases of patients developing agranulocytosis, a severe drop in…

A new Phase 2a clinical trial, funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), is now recruiting Parkinson’s disease patients to test the safety and tolerability of nilotinib, an approved treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) that is now being repurposed for Parkinson’s disease. Nilotinib, marketed as Tasigna for…

Carbidopa, a medicine approved for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, also has shown anti-cancer effects in lab-grown human cells and mice, according to the results of a new study. The findings help explain why cancer incidence usually is lower in Parkinson’s patients — with the exception of skin cancer — and…

Infection with the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii may increase the likelihood for certain brain disorders, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, a systematic analysis suggests. The study, “Toxoplasma Modulates Signature Pathways of Human Epilepsy, Neurodegeneration & Cancer,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Over two…