News

Protein Clumps Marking Parkinson’s May Start in Digestive Tract

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…

Suppressing Enzyme Synuclein Nitrase Could Lead to New Therapies

Nitrase Therapeutics showed suppressing the activity of an enzyme called synuclein nitrase reduces toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein and normalizes the electrical activity of dopamine-producing, or dopaminergic, neurons derived from Parkinson’s patients. The accumulation of toxic alpha-synuclein clumps is the underlying cause of the progressive death of…

Dosing Begins in Phase 1 Clinical Trial of AAV-GAD Gene Therapy

MeiraGTx’s new Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AAV-GAD, its investigational gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, has started dosing patients, the company announced in a press release. “We are now dosing patients with adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (AAV-GAD), an investigational gene therapy product…

Insecticide Impairs Gastrointestinal Function, May Increase Disease Risk

Being exposed to insecticides impacts gastrointestinal function and might increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study in mice shows. The research also shows exposure to a specific insecticide disrupts dopaminergic brain circuitries, and leads to motor deficits associated with Parkinson’s. When it comes to neurological disorders,…

Amneal’s Extended-release Carbidopa/Levodopa to Get Review

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review Amneal Pharmaceuticals’ application for IPX203, its extended-release carbidopa/levodopa (CD/LD) tablet for Parkinson’s disease. Results from the Phase 3 RISE-PD clinical trial (NCT03670953) showed IPX203 can control Parkinson’s symptoms safely and effectively for longer periods with less frequent dosing,…

Parkinson’s Foundation Opens Its 2023 Community Grants Program

The Parkinson’s Foundation is accepting applications for its 2023 community grants, awarding a total of $1 million in support of local health, wellness, and educational programs helping to address the unmet needs of Parkinson’s disease communities. Awards range from $10,000 to $25,000, and the funding period runs from July…

Elements in ‘Dark Genome’ Tied to Disease Progression Differences

Transposable elements, a common feature in the so-called “dark genome,” are associated with clinical differences in how Parkinson’s disease progresses among different people, a new study indicates. “Our main finding is that the presence or absence of [transposable elements] changes progression trajectory of [Parkinson’s], and we provided clinical, imaging,…

Neurotherapeutic Program Aims to Improve Motor, Cognitive Functions

MindMaze is partnering with Mount Sinai Health System in New York to accelerate the access of people with neurological diseases to a pioneer digital neurotherapeutic program to improve patients’ motor and cognitive functions. The program aims to provide high-dose and high-intensity training to improve the brain’s ability…

Cholesterol Med Fails to Slow Disease Progression

Treatment with simvastatin, a medication used to lower cholesterol levels, did not slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease  over a two-year period, according to published data from a Phase 2 trial. Overall, the data provide “no evidence to support proceeding to a phase 3 trial,” the researchers wrote, noting…