News

The Parkinson’s Foundation is making an effort to put patients at the center of clinical research, both through its Research Advocates program and more recently, patient advisory boards, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Since 2008, the foundation’s advocacy program has trained more than 300…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given fast track designation to the investigational cell therapy DA01, now in a clinical trial in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease. Developed by BlueRock Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer, DA01 is made up of dopamine-producing nerve cells derived from…

Ipsen has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Integrative Research Laboratories (IRLAB) to develop and commercialize mesdopetam, an experimental therapy for reducing levodopa-induced dyskinesia, or involuntary movements, in people with Parkinson’s disease. “We are excited to enter this licensing agreement with IRLAB. By working in partnership,…

The number and severity of non-motor symptoms increase during the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, and are significantly associated with age and motor symptoms, according to a study in China. The findings showed that a higher non-motor symptom burden in early Parkinson’s was significantly associated with a faster progression…

A compound naturally found in turmeric essential oil, called aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone), and its derivatives were seen to protect dopaminergic neurons in a tissue culture model of Parkinson’s, researchers report. These findings support the already known role of ar-turmerone in reducing the inflammatory response caused by activated microglia —…

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a Southern Research neuroscience lab $3.3 million to advance research in Parkinson’s disease. Rita Cowell, PhD, the funding recipient, was also granted $594,000 for the study of frontotemporal dementia, a disorder that is similar to…

A flexible hydrogel-based device, implanted in the brains of mice, allowed scientists to stimulate and detect brain signals — in deep brain regions — in real time, a study reported. The hydrogel device functions for nearly six months, and triggers less of a reaction and lesser scarring than current electrodes,…

California has committed $8.4 million to the California Parkinson’s Disease Registry (CPDR) and efforts to expand it to other neurodegenerative diseases over the next four years. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) commended Gov. Gavin Newsom for signing the state’s fiscal year 2021–2022 budget,…

Stimulating brain regions to treat Parkinson’s disease, depression, and other disorders involving brain damage could become more precise, thanks to a new way of mapping the brain circuitry involved in those conditions. The study describing this research, “Brain stimulation and brain lesions converge on common causal…

PIAS2, a protein that suppresses the immune interferon (IFN)-beta signaling, is found at higher-than-normal levels in neurons of sporadic Parkinson’s patients, particularly in those with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD), a study shows. Overproduction of this protein was sufficient to cause PDD-like motor and cognitive symptoms in mice, while…