News

Insoluble alpha-synuclein protein has long been thought to be the main component of Parkinson’s hallmark Lewy bodies, but researchers have now reported these abnormal aggregates are also made of cell membrane fragments, fat-like substances, and other cellular components. This finding was reported in a study, “Lewy pathology in…

Delivering a compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to the striatum, a key brain region involved in motor control, can ease Parkinson’s symptoms and reduce dopamine-producing neuronal loss in a mouse model of the disease, a study finds. The study, “Protective effects of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide against motor…

Scientist Kim Tieu, PhD has received a $6.6 million grant to investigate the environmental factors that may trigger the death of brain cells in Parkinson’s disease, and to develop therapies that prevent their loss. The grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is part of its Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary…

Oral treatment with Accordion Pill-Carbidopa/Levodopa (AP-CD/LD) lessened the variability of levodopa plasma levels and eased motor fluctuations in people with advanced Parkinson’s, according to results of a Phase 2 trial. The study, “Pharmacokinetics and efficacy of a novel formulation of carbidopa-levodopa (Accordion Pill®) in Parkinson’s disease”…

A new nationwide event series aims to empower people with Parkinson’s (PD) and their caregivers to manage the disease, learn about research participation, and plug into local resources. Called “Parkinson’s IQ + You,” the effort is presented by The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). The events seek…

Blocking an enzyme that converts compounds derived from certain foods and tobacco in the brain may become a therapeutic target for people with Parkinson’s, according to a new study of mice. The research, “Mitochondria-targeted cytochrome P450 CYP2D6 is involved in monomethylamine-induced neuronal damage in mouse models,”…

Enterin Inc has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 1b DEMET clinical trial investigating the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of small molecule ENT-01 to treat Parkinson’s disease dementia. Contacts and locations of participating sites can be found here. Many neurodegenerative disorders involve aggregation of misfolded (harmful)…

VistaGen Therapeutics’ candidate, AV-101, reduced levodopa-induced dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements) while maintaining levodopa activity in a non-human primate model of Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, AV-101 treatment did not cause the adverse side effects observed with amantadine, a therapy that works similar to AV-101 to ease Parkinson’s symptoms.

Treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), an FDA-approved medicine for multiple sclerosis, can restore motor function and biochemical markers in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The findings, “Glatiramer Acetate Reverses Motor Dysfunction and the Decrease in 9 Tyrosine Hydroxylase Levels…

Changes to the serotonin system in the brain occur years before the development of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s — and may be an important early warning signal for the disease, a study suggests. “Therefore, brain imaging of the serotonin system could become a valuable tool to detect individuals at…