News

Levels of a retrovirus that entered the human genome via infections millions of years ago — an endogenous retrovirus called HERV-K that is still part of a person’s DNA — were lower in people with Parkinson’s disease and linked to more severe symptoms and longer disease duration, a study…

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which evaluates the safety and efficacy of new drugs in the European Union, has waived a requirement that would have had Irlab Therapeutics conducting clinical trials testing mesdopetam — its therapy candidate for levodopa-induced dyskinesia, or uncontrolled, involuntary movements common in Parkinson’s disease…

Parkinson’s disease research and care should address disparities by sex and gender in patients’ symptoms, treatment responses, and disease progression, scientists across Europe and North America state in a commentary. While sex refers to assigned biological differences between males and females, gender refers to how a person identifies, affecting…

Aging microglia, the immune cells of the brain that protect it by fighting infections and clearing debris, may mount a weaker immune response than younger microglia, according to a study that used lab-grown cells collected from mouse pups. Although both young and old microglia react to inflammation, they appear to…

All patients have completed final follow-up visits in a Phase 2 clinical trial testing pirepemat, an oral treatment designed to reduce falls in Parkinson’s disease, and top-line results are expected in the first quarter, said developer Irlab Therapeutics. The development “marks an important milestone in our clinical development program…

Approximately two-thirds of Parkinson’s disease patients may experience paranoia and unusual sensations, including visual hallucinations, according to a new study from the U.K. People with Parkinson’s may have paranoid thoughts or unfounded fears, as well as abnormal sensory experiences, the study found. Further, many of the individuals who had…

U.S. researchers have identified, as a potential therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease, a protein that controls part of the function of LRRK2 — a protein known to be overactive in Parkinson’s, including in patients without mutations in its coding gene. This discovery, made using cell and mouse models of…

A nanoparticle-based wireless deep brain stimulation (DBS) system restored the activity of degenerating neurons and increased dopamine release in cellular and mouse models of Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. The technology also eliminated alpha-synuclein clumps, a hallmark feature of the disease, and improved the animals’ motor abilities. According…

C2N Diagnostics and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) are teaming up to study how Parkinson’s disease and similar neurodegenerative conditions overlap with Alzheimer’s disease. With a grant in the amount of more than $1.5 million from MJFF, researchers at C2N will identify and…

A mobile application that detects a person’s natural walking pace and provides real-time, beat-synchronized music for at-home rehabilitation improved walking in Parkinson’s disease patients, both during daily activities and in tests without music cues, a study found. The study, “Gait ecological assessment in persons with Parkinson’s disease engaged…