News

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is continuing to support the advancement of Parkinson’s disease research by investing up to $7.5 million in projects proposed by investigators, the nonprofit recently announced. Funding will be considered for projects aimed at the following four areas: exploring new biological targets for therapeutic development;…

Insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin, affects almost two-thirds of non-diabetic Parkinson’s patients despite normal blood sugar levels, according to a study. This finding suggests that insulin resistance may be a common undetected condition in Parkinson’s disease, especially in patients who are…

Aptinyx has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial of NYX-458, a potential treatment for cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease patients. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted in roughly 62 healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the compound. Pharmacokinetics refers to a drug’s…

Denali Therapeutics’ reports that its investigational compound for Parkinson’s disease, DNL201, was found to be safe and well-tolerated by healthy individuals in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The company is planning to advance the compound into a Phase 1b study in patients, a press release states. DNL201 is an inhibitor…

“Traffic jams” that occur along nerve cells in the brain and disrupt the transport of mitochondria were found to be a significant cause of Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. In particular, researchers found that alpha-synuclein protein aggregates, the hallmark of Parkinson’s, impair the movement of mitochondria, which provide…

Loss or inactivation of a single gene copy of LRRK1 or LRRK2 — LRRK mutations being a common genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease — neither increases the risk nor protects against the disease, a new study showed. These findings also support the use of kinase inhibitors targeting mutant LRRK2 as a…

Cantabio Pharmaceuticals’ small molecule therapeutic candidate was able to protect dopamine-producing brain cells from death and prevent the loss of dopamine in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, according to preclinical data. The compound targets DJ-1, a protein whose loss is associated with the onset of several diseases, including…

Researchers have developed a new way to make miniature 3D versions of the brain by using human stem cells. These new “mini-brains” will allow scientists to observe brain development, test promising new therapies, and study neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Findings were published in the study, “Induction of…

Physical exercise given in addition to standard treatment can improve overall quality of life in Parkinson’s patients, helping to ease physical limitations and allowing for greater engagement in daily activities, a review study suggests. The review, “The Effect of Physical Activity in Parkinson’s Disease: A Mini-Review,” was published in…

An investigational compound called ITI-214, which is being investigated in clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease, may also be effective in strengthening the heart, according to an animal study recently published in the journal Circulation. ITI-214, being developed by Intra-Cellular Therapies, is a potent and selective inhibitor of an enzyme known…