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Antibody fragments, known as nanobodies, may be an efficient strategy to reduce abnormal alpha-synuclein protein aggregates and preserve motor function in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, a rat study suggests. The study, “Proteasome-targeted nanobodies alleviate pathology and functional decline in an α-synuclein-based Parkinson’s disease model,”…

A novel pain-sensing brain network links pain in Parkinson’s disease to a specific region of the brain, called the subthalamic nucleus, an animal study has found. The findings illustrate why this specific brain region is a potential target for pain relief in Parkinson’s, as well as in Huntington’s disease, and other…

High levels of blood cholesterol may decrease the risk of men developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a large-scale clinical study. The study, “Higher serum cholesterol and decreased Parkinson’s disease risk: A statin‐free cohort study,” was published in the journal Movement Disorders. High blood cholesterol, in particular,…

A new process to select and purify stem cells that hold therapeutic potential to replace dopamine-producing neurons may hasten clinical development of this promising avenue to treat Parkinson’s disease. Upon being transplanted, these cells promoted dopamine production and reduced the severity of disease-related motor symptoms in an animal model…

Patients likely to have prodromal, or early, Parkinson’s disease tend to have a higher prevalence of pain, according to a new study. The findings indicate that pain may be a relevant disease marker before the appearance of motor disturbances. The study, “Pain: A marker of prodromal Parkinsons disease?”…