News

A molecule showed a potential in early studies to slow the production of alpha-synuclein, a protein that forms large toxic aggregates in the brains of  people with Parkinson’s disease, a research team reported. Called A-443654, the molecule lowered to normal levels the protein’s production in nerve cells derived from a…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Sinopia Biosciences $3.3 million to advance the development of its small molecule candidate for Parkinson’s disease. Sinopia will use the grant to move the small molecule forward through investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies. An IND is a medicine that has…

Changes in the genetic material of the sebum — the “oil” on the skin’s surface — are evident in people with Parkinson’s, and analyzing this skin surface lipid may aid in diagnosing the disease, scientists report. Their study, “Non-invasive diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease by sebum RNA…

An imbalance between the signaling molecules dopamine and sonic hedgehog in the brain may be the cause of the movement disorder caused by dopamine-replacing medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to findings published in Communications Biology, in the study, “Dopaminergic co-transmission with sonic hedgehog…

A scientist from the University of California San Diego, whose research has focused on an enzyme seen as a primary genetic driver of Parkinson’s disease, will receive approximately $9 million in funding over the next seven years as a new Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. Elizabeth Villa,…

Tracking blood pressure with a smartwatch could help people with Parkinson’s disease manage the sudden drop in blood pressure — called orthostatic hypotension — that can occur when changing positions, according to a study by researchers at the Samsung Medical Center, in South Korea. Measurements obtained with Samsung’s…

CNM-Au8, an experimental oral treatment by Clene Nanomedicine, was safe and led to improvements in the brain’s energetic profile — thought to protect against cell death — in adults with Parkinson’s disease, according to data from the Phase 2 clinical trial REPAIR-PD. “In addition to achieving its primary…

The response of the eyes’ pupils — the black circle in the center of the eye  that allows light to enter — seems to change according to the progression of Parkinson’s disease, a recent study has found. The results suggest that measuring the pupils’ response to stimuli could become a noninvasive…

Taking inspiration from carnivorous plants, researchers in Korea have developed new technology that may increase the longevity of surgical devices implanted into the brain. The research may lead to improvements in deep brain stimulation (DBS) — a surgical treatment for Parkinson’s disease that involves inserting a device that…

Researcher Amir Hirsa has found a way 240 miles above the Earth’s surface to study the aggregation of proteins that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Hirsa, PhD, is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering with a joint appointment in chemical and biological engineering…