Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

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…

Parkinson’s patients who injected themselves with the diabetes therapy Byetta (exenatide) every week for a year were able to move better, according to a Phase 2 clinical trial. Their improvement contrasted with the continued decline in the movement of the study’s control group, who received a placebo. While the Phase 2 EXENATIDE-PD…

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…

Prexton Therapeutics has initiated a new Phase 2 clinical trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of its investigational therapy Foliglurax (PXT002331) in Parkinson’s disease patients treated with levodopa, but who are experiencing end-of-dose wearing off and levodopa-induced dyskinesia (involuntary movements). Levodopa is the most important first-line medication for the management of Parkinson’s,…

International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO) says two of its biggest achievements in the last quarter of 2016 was demonstrating that ISC-hpNSC can improve cognitive performance and motor coordination in rodents with traumatic brain injury, and successfully transplanting 30 million ISC-hpNSC cells into a second patient in a clinical trial for…

Scientists have developed a new computer-based method that shows great promise in improving the accuracy of diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Ensembles of Deep Learning Architectures for the Early Diagnosis of the Alzheimer’s Disease,” was published in the International Journal Of Neural Systems journal.

Researchers have identified a gene that acts as a switch for genes regulating mitochondria metabolism in neurons. These findings suggest that gene activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease, as the death of neurons in Parkinson’s has been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. The study, “dATF4…

A biomarker usually measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and used to differentiate Parkinson’s disease (PD) from similar diseases, has been found to have high diagnostic value when analyzing blood samples. These findings suggest that diagnosis can be obtained more easily without sacrificing accuracy. The study “A biomarker for differential diagnosis…

Axovant Sciences has announced the preliminary results of a Phase 2 clinical trial testing the investigational oral drug therapy nelotanserin in patients with either dementia caused by Lewy bodies (DLB), or Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). Nelotanserin is an investigational drug candidate that binds to a receptor of the central…

Researchers have discovered that a protein called Nrf2 is capable of maintaining healthy levels of certain proteins linked to Parkinson’s disease, so as to protect neurons from cell death. The research could lead to new therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The study, “Nrf2 mitigates LRRK2- and α-synuclein–induced…