Toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein, the underlying cause of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, may originate in the digestive tract before migrating to the brain, a study in mice reported, supporting previous work into a gut-brain axis in disease development. Changes to microbes in the digestive tract, known…
Swallowing difficulties in people with Parkinson’s disease are associated with the dysfunction of nerves that supply the heart muscle as part of the autonomic, or involuntary, nervous system, a study revealed. The noninvasive method to measure this dysfunction, called cardiac MIBG scintigraphy, could help identify Parkinson’s patients who may…
Alpha-synuclein protein clumps — the toxic aggregates related to nerve damage in Parkinson’s disease — vary, including in size, and small fragments appear to drive cellular toxicity compared with larger fragments, a study shows. Its findings were confirmed in post-mortem examinations of brain tissue from Parkinson’s patients, showing smaller clumps…
Fifty new genes that modified signs of Parkinson’s disease in a fruit fly model have been discovered using a multidisciplinary approach involving genomics, computational tools, and patient sample analysis, a study has reported. Some gene candidates worsened Parkinson’s signs while others conferred neuroprotection, “underscoring their therapeutic potential,” the researchers…
A Phase 1/2a clinical trial testing the ability of AMDX-2011P to safely detect abnormal protein deposits in the retina of adults with Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), possibly allowing earlier diagnosis and easier patient monitoring, has dosed its first participants. These proteins comprise alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s…
Clumps of alpha-synuclein protein, which build to toxic levels in the brain and spinal cord of Parkinson’s disease patients, spread via a cellular waste-ejection process, according to a study in mice. These clumps, which failed to be broken down in lysosomes, the cells’ recycling centers, are released by nerve…
Gain Therapeutics’ GT-02287, an oral candidate therapy for Parkinson’s disease, led to dose-dependent improvements in the health of nerve cells and fine motor skills in mice. These findings, presented recently as a poster at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders 2022 in Madrid, add to…
Using a newly created probe and non-invasive PET scans, researchers were able to visualize sites of alpha-synuclein protein clumps — associated with nerve damage in Parkinson’s disease — in the brains of living patients, scientists reported. This method may help in diagnosing conditions related to alpha-synuclein clumping, referred to…
Screening a large database with machine learning tools helped scientists identify approved medicines for other diseases that reduced the risk of developing Parkinson’s, a study reported. According to researchers, these potential Parkinson’s disease therapies “deserve to be confirmed” in larger studies. “Drug repurposing or repositioning is the application of…
In-home, non-contact sensors that can identify changes in movement and behaviors may allow age-related diseases, including Parkinson’s, to be detected early, a study reports. By using machine learning tools, the study shows how outcomes such as fall risk, frailty, and cognitive abilities may be assessed in a home setting.
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