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An enzyme called asparagine endopeptidase may participate in the development of Parkinson’s disease by cleaving alpha-synuclein protein into toxic fragments, according to new research. The study, “Asparagine endopeptidase cleaves α-synuclein and mediates pathologic activities in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. The…

Treatment with Prana Biotechnology’s investigational drug PBT434 showed potential in preventing neuronal death in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study. Results showed that PBT434 blocked the formation of alpha-synuclein aggregates, a hallmark of Parkinson’s, and normalized iron levels in the brain, thereby protecting neurons…

A recent study has discovered a link between frequent or chronic occurrences of gastrointestinal (GI) tract infections and the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study’s authors have shown for the first time that the nerve cell protein alpha-synuclein (αS), produced by the enteric nervous system, is a key mediator of intestinal inflammation. The enteric nervous system (ENS)…

Treatment with a drug called CLR01 improved balance and movement coordination in mice with early stage Parkinson’s disease, according to results of a new preclinical study. Researchers said CLR01 acts by decreasing the amount of unstable alpha-synuclein, one of the two forms of the protein existing in the brain, and…

Global Kinetics Corporation (GKC), which develops technology to assist people with Parkinson’s disease, has presented a set of data collected from more than 10,000 reports of symptoms from patients with Parkinson’s. The new database — collected in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia from January 2012 to January 2017 — can help researchers and physicians better…

Treatment with statins may accelerate the development of Parkinson’s disease in people already at risk for this disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine. The study, “Projection of the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in the coming decades: Revisited,” appeared in the journal…

Researchers developed a method for noninvasive deep brain stimulation (DBS) that showed promise as a potential way to stimulate neurons without requiring surgery, a new study says. The method works by inducing electrical currents with different high frequencies. When these currents meet deep in the brain, they generate enough stimulation…