News

Researchers have developed a highly-sensitive alpha-synuclein-based test that accurately distinguishes people with Parkinson’s from those without the disease and those with other alpha-synucleinopathies, which sometimes are difficult to distinguish based on symptoms alone. The test also was able to predict the future conversion to Parkinson’s among people with…

Argobio and GeneCode are teaming up to develop small molecules mimicking glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a protein that helps nerve cells survive, for the treatment of Parkinson’s and other diseases. The collaboration builds on previous work by researchers at GeneCode, who together with Mart Saarma, PhD,…

Parkinson’s-related mutations in the LRRK2 gene, in the presence of pro-inflammatory stimuli, affect the uptake and trafficking of iron in brain cells, leading to its abnormal accumulation and “mislocalization.” That’s according to a new study in mouse models and cells derived from Parkinson’s patients, which demonstrates “altered regulation of…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded about $1.5 million in grants to AC Immune to support work into small molecules against two proteins that are key players in the neurodegeneration underlying Parkinson’s disease. The two grants will fund research into molecules able to enter the brain…

The use of several Parkinson’s disease medications was significantly associated with the increased abundance of a bacterial enzyme that converts levodopa to dopamine in the gut, potentially reducing levodopa’s availability in the brain, a study found. In Parkinson’s patients with rapidly progressing disease, the approved therapy Comtan (entacapone)…

No significant correlation was found between the consumption of well water and the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to the results of a pooled analysis of multiple studies. However, there was a high degree of variability — what scientists call heterogeneity — between the selected studies, with some…

A protein present in the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the virus that causes COVID-19 — is able to interact with alpha-synuclein and speed the formation of amyloid fibrils, the toxic clumps that trigger nerve cells death and are a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, a study has shown. “We show, in…

People with age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that blurs central vision, may have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a Taiwanese population‐based retrospective study suggests. The study, ‘Increased risk of Parkinson’s disease among patients with age-related macular degeneration,” was published in the journal BMC Ophthalmology. Age-related…

A new molecule — a peptide tweaked by scientists in the laboratory — has the potential to prevent the misfolding and toxic aggregation, or clumping, of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. This study, supported by funds from Alzheimer’s Research U.K., paves the…

Lifestyle factors and co-existing medical conditions influence cognition in people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, with physical exercise and cognitive stimulation shown to have a protective effect, a large study revealed. High blood pressure, diabetes, and psychiatric problems were found to have a negative impact on cognitive…