News

$1.9M Grant Aims to Revolutionize Parkinson’s Therapy Development

A £1.375 ($1.9) million grant from the Edmond J. Safra Foundation will support a pioneering clinical trial aimed at speeding the development of new therapies for Parkinson’s disease. “This project will revolutionise the way we perform clinical trials of potentially disease-modifying drugs for people with Parkinson’s,” Thomas Foltynie, PhD, MD, a…

More Parkinsonism Features Found in Older Autistic Adults

Middle-aged and older autistic adults with no intellectual disabilities reported more prevalent Parkinson’s disease-like features — referred to as parkinsonism — compared with the general population, a study found. These findings provide important knowledge about aging disorders such as Parkinson’s among older people with autism spectrum disorder…

Guidelines and Research Lacking for LGBTQ Patients, Study Finds

People who are gay, bisexual, or transgender with Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders can be reluctant to disclose their sexual or gender identities for fear of being denied treatment or enrollment in clinical trials, a study found. Research is limited into this growing patient group, and best practice guidelines…

FDA OKs Second Trial to Test Effects of Stem-cell Infusions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Phase 3 trial to test multiple infusions of fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells — ones obtained from healthy donors — in people with Parkinson’s disease. The Hope Biosciences Stem Cell Research Foundation (HBSCRF), which received the authorization, already has a…

Smoking History May Not Be Linked to Parkinson’s

Smoking history may not influence the severity of symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, a small study suggests. Moreover, in some individuals, exposure to cigarette smoke may worsen motor symptoms, which could lead patients to quit smoking and explain why smoking is more common among people without the disease. The study,…