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Blocking the inflammatory protein ASC with IC 100, ZyVersa Therapeutics’ experimental therapy to reduce inflammation, prevented the activation of the inflammasome in microglia — the brain’s resident immune cells — and the start and perpetuation of an inflammatory response. That’s according to results from a study announced by the…

The STING protein, which has been linked to cell damage and brain inflammation — two known contributing factors to Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases — has a dual function, a study found. The researchers said their finding could have implications for treating Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Lysosomes,…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded a $14.7 million research grant to Verily, an artificial intelligence platform for health analytics, to generate a detailed set of molecular information for Parkinson’s disease research. Verily will analyze biological samples, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid, from participants in the…

Ring-shaped small proteins called macrocyclic peptides — originally developed to target proteins linked to diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease — have now been shown in a laboratory to also prevent alpha-synuclein from forming the hallmark toxic clumps observed in Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to researchers from the Technical University of…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is expanding its Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) to provide free Parkinson’s disease risk screening to people 40 years and older. The move will allow PPMI to screen more people using blood testing and tests of smell loss, a possible early…

Inflammation visible in brain scans of people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease may serve as an early indicator of dementia risk and offer a promising target for interventions aimed at preventing cognitive decline, a study suggests. “[O]ur findings suggest that significant … neuroinflammation in early [Parkinson’s] might…

Defects in VPS13C, a protein whose dysfunction has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, can prevent cells from repairing damage to their waste disposal systems, a study shows. VPS13C and other proteins associated with genetic forms of Parkinson’s help repair damaged lysosomes, which are cell components that recycle waste. Without…

A newly developed test was able to distinguish — with an accuracy of 95% — between individuals with and without Parkinson’s disease, using samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, according to a new study from Germany. The researchers noted that Parkinson’s often…

Researchers at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approach to track and measure freezing of gait (FOG), a common motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease. The technology will be used in a clinical trial that’s testing the safety and preliminary efficacy…

A group of U.S. veterans with Parkinson’s disease has added a novel tool to their therapeutic regimen: building with Legos. For about a year, the group, based out of the Central Virginia Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, has been building Lego creations to exercise their motor skills and…