News

Ann Johnson, a retired veterinarian diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) almost a decade ago, usually travels 130 miles from Champaign to Chicago to be treated by Dr. Christopher Goetz at the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center. But her most recent appointment lasted less than 30…

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that an enzyme known to be highly active in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients places a molecular tag on the protein α-synuclein, causing it to aggregate and worsen its symptoms. The study, “Activation of tyrosine…

A discovery demonstrating that two Parkinson’s disease risk genes produce proteins preventing the immune system from attacking brain cells makes inherited Parkinson’s cases new candidates for autoimmune diseases. In addition to giving researchers new leads in the search for drugs that might postpone or prevent the disease, the findings might…

Cynapsus Therapeutics recently provided an update on APL-130277, its sublingual formulation of apomorphine hydrochloride or apomorphine. Apomorphine injection is the only treatment approved for acute, intermittent “off” episodes in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Motor symptoms such as tremor at rest, rigidity, and impaired movement or freezing, as well as difficulties with starting…

Retrophin presented new data from a physician-initiated study of RE-024, the company’s investigational replacement therapy for pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a rare movement disorder. The findings, from treatment in two adults with PKAN, suggest the treatment is both safe and effective, with patients showing clinical improvement and stable disease progression. These results, as well as…

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) are closer than ever to understanding the structure of a protein called ZIP4 – the only factor responsible for the uptake of zinc from food. Although zinc is a mineral essential for numerous bodily processes, unbalanced levels of the element can cause or contribute…

The incidence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and parkinsonism increased significantly in the 30 years from 1976 to 2005, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Neurology titled “Time Trends in the Incidence of Parkinson Disease.” Researchers say the trend was particularly strong in men…

Poor decision-making processes — common enough among patients with Parkinson’s disease — may contribute to the movement difficulties that characterize the disease, a view that redefines Parkinson’s as more than a movement disorder. The findings may also lead to new discoveries of early disease markers, improving chances of halting brain degeneration at an early…

A pilot study found that a nasal spray may be a promising and quickly effective way of delivering glutathione (GSH), and of increasing GSH levels in the brain of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. The study, “Central nervous system uptake of intranasal glutathione in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal NPJ Parkinson’s…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced it has set aside a $2 million prize for the development of a PET tracer capable of visualizing the protein alpha-synuclein, the main therapeutic target and biomarker candidate in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Announced at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging…