Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Patricia holds her PhD in cell biology from the University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York, for which she was awarded a Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) fellowship.

Articles by Patricia Inácio

Common Antiseptic Ingredients Disrupt Mitochondria’s Function, Impair Hormone Response, Study Finds

Commonly used in household products, the antimicrobial agents known as quaternary ammonium compounds, or “quats,” were found to inhibit mitochondria function and to impair estrogen signaling. The findings raise serious questions regarding the safety of these products, which include toothpastes, shampoos, and lotions, among many others, as exposure to other mitochondrial-inhibiting…

AC Immune Develops Antibodies That Target Two Proteins in Parkinson’s Disease

AC Immune has developed antibodies against two proteins that are key players in the neurodegeneration underlying Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases. The Swiss biopharmaceutical company used its proprietary SupraAntigen platform to create the next-generation antibodies, which target abnormal versions of the alpha-synuclein and TDP-43 proteins. AC Immune has already used the platform to produce…

Gocovri Approved by FDA as 1st Treatment for Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Patients

The first treatment for levodopa-induced dyskinesia — the involuntary and jerky movements that afflict most Parkinson’s disease patients on this common therapy — was approved Thursday, Aug. 24, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The therapy, Gocovri (amantadine) by Adamas Pharmaceuticals, is an long-acting and extended-release capsule, indicated for those…

New Fluorescent Tools Help Researchers Track Protein Involved in Parkinson’s Disease

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania developed a strategy using fluorescence that allows them to track alpha-synuclein protein and follow its path inside neurons. This is important because while scientists know that alpha-synuclein protein is involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, they aren’t exactly certain how the process functions. These new…

Soft Robotic Exosuit Could Help Those with Parkinson’s, a Stroke Patient Study Indicates

A Harvard University-designed soft robotic exosuit that helped stroke patients walk better could do the same for Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis patients, those involved in creating and evaluating the prototype say. The invention, which ReWalk Robotics is moving toward commercializing, promises to change the lives of patients with mobility impairments, the…