News

Centogene announced plans to recruit 2,500 more patients this year into its observational Rostock International Parkinson’s Disease (ROPAD) study of how genetic factors contribute to the development of Parkinson’s. “We recently reached a significant study milestone, but this is just the beginning,” Peter Bauer, MD, Centogene’s chief genomic…

Levels of a protein involved in the transport of brain signaling molecules in dopamine-producing neurons appear to be sex specific — higher in female than in male animal models and human cells — and to protect against age-related neurodegeneration, a study reported. Given that older age and male sex are risk factors for …

Scientists have identified genetic variations that are associated with different rates of disease progression in people with Parkinson’s disease. The findings suggest that the genetic changes that affect disease progression are distinct from those that impact whether a person will get Parkinson’s at all, and that disease initiation and…

A new research training program called NeuroInsight is seeking to teach scientists in the data analytics and neuroscience skills needed to research Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. The program received a €4.7 million ($5.64 million) grant from the Marie SkÅ‚odowska-Curie Actions COFUND, a European fund that provides financial…

An experimental deep brain stimulation (DBS) system can continuously monitor brain activity in Parkinson’s disease patients as they go about their daily activities, with the information it produces used to adjust stimulation delivered by an implant device, the research team that developed it reported. “This is really the first…

The Parkinson’s Foundation is investing an additional $10 million to support research, care, and education programs in order to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease in the U.S. Part of the funding will go toward the PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Disease initiative,…

Treatment with investigational oral therapy BIIB122/DNL151 safely lowered the activity of disease biomarkers that reflect LRRK2 activity, a protein whose mutations are associated with Parkinson’s disease, according to results from two Phase 1 clinical studies. Plans are being put in place to advance the therapy into late-stage clinical testing…

D&D Pharmatech’s new subsidiary, Valted Seq, announced it has acquired exclusive rights from Johns Hopkins University to develop multiple biomarker assays for the evaluation and management of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s. “There are currently no clinically accepted biomarker assays available for Parkinson’s disease. An assay capable of…

Parkinson’s disease experts worldwide, in a recent virtual meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO), discussed issues related to the neurodegenerative disease that will be the basis of a report to the United Nations detailing ways to improve life for patients and their families. The two-day meeting was reportedly the…

A rapid, inexpensive, and easy-to-use test can help to assess a loss of smell, and with greater accuracy than current “scratch and sniff” tests, allowing neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease to be suspected at early stages, researchers report. Their study “A novel capsule-based smell test fabricated via coaxial…