News

An investigational therapy known as NLX-112 (befiradol) may hold promise to treat levodopa-induced dyskinesia, a complication of long-term levodopa therapy that affects people with Parkinson’s disease, a study found. The study, “The selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist, NLX-112, exerts anti-dyskinetic and anti-parkinsonian-like effects in MPTP-treated marmosets,” was…

In recognition of Rare Disease Day Feb. 29, Bionews Services launched a social media campaign last month asking patients to describe what makes them rare. Running Feb. 7–29, the #WhatMakesMeRare campaign was aimed at uplifting people with rare diseases by encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives. The response…

Blood levels of progranulin — a protein whose deficiency has been linked to neurodegeneration — may reflect Parkinson’s severity and progression, and serve as a disease biomarker, a recent study suggested. The research, “Reduced plasma progranulin levels are associated with the severity of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

A new technique using tiny bubbles and ultrasound waves could ease the way for gene therapy to be delivered to the central nervous system, a mouse study suggests. The technique had a neuroprotective effect on mice, and those treated to model Parkinson’s showed improvements in measurements of motor function,…

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a substance that may improve the differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease based on brain imaging — potentially allowing physicians to distinguish between patients who are sensitive to the side effects of parkinsonian medications and those who are not. Levodopa is one…

Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tools, researchers introduced a common Parkinson’s disease mutation into stems cells of  the marmoset monkey for a first time, paving the way toward a primate model of this disease. They also showed that this common leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene mutation behaves the same in…

More than one-third of older people with Parkinson’s disease in long-term care who experienced therapy-related psychosis were prescribed antipsychotic medications considered inappropriate under current guidelines, a study found. Those with dementia or using antidepressants were more likely to be given these…

Sangamo and Biogen are teaming up to develop gene therapies for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as another neuromuscular disease target and up to nine undisclosed neurological disorders. The collaboration will leverage Sangamo’s proprietary zinc finger protein (ZFP) technology, designed to target almost any sequence…

A blood test may be able to predict early cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease by measuring the length of chromosomal telomeres (the “tips” of chromosomes) in immune cells and the presence of inflammatory markers, a study shows. The study, “…

Table tennis may offer benefits as a form of Parkinson’s physical therapy, according to a preliminary study that showed lessening of symptoms in patients who participated weekly in the sport for six months. “Pingpong, which is also called table tennis, is a form of aerobic exercise that has been…