News

The Parkinson’s Foundation will award $1.2 million to early career scientists working on Parkinson’s disease research in 27 new career development and fellowship grants. Xi Chen, PhD, of the Van Andel Research Institute, was called a “standout grand recipient” this year. Chen is using a $100,000 postdoctoral fellowship…

Singing may help people with Parkinson’s disease — especially in its earlier stages — because it strengthens muscles involved in swallowing and respiratory control, suggests two studies from researchers at Iowa State University. One study, “Therapeutic singing as an early intervention for swallowing in persons with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

The naturally-occurring protein α-klotho improves cognition and brain resilience in mice, and may have potential benefits for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), researchers showed. The study, ”Peripheral Elevation of a Klotho Fragment Enhances Brain Function and Resilience in Young, Aging, and α-Synuclein Transgenic Mice,” appeared…

Jonathan Silverstein’s two decades as a healthcare venture capitalist gave him the solid background he needed to be a success in his career. But it didn’t quite prepare him for his diagnosis last year at age 49 with Parkinson’s disease with a rare mutation in the GBA gene. Although…

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania developed a strategy using fluorescence that allows them to track alpha-synuclein protein and follow its path inside neurons. This is important because while scientists know that alpha-synuclein protein is involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, they aren’t exactly certain how the process functions. These new…

The United States is just four days away from sending a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station whose cargo will include a Parkinson’s disease experiment. National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials said the experiment will involve growing leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 protein crystals in the near-zero-gravity conditions of space. Scientists…

Parkinson’s patients who injected themselves with the diabetes therapy Byetta (exenatide) every week for a year were able to move better, according to a Phase 2 clinical trial. Their improvement contrasted with the continued decline in the movement of the study’s control group, who received a placebo. While the Phase 2 EXENATIDE-PD…

Researchers have learned more about the true role of alpha-synuclein, a faulty protein involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The findings of a recent study add insight into what goes…

A Harvard University-designed soft robotic exosuit that helped stroke patients walk better could do the same for Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis patients, those involved in creating and evaluating the prototype say. The invention, which ReWalk Robotics is moving toward commercializing, promises to change the lives of patients with mobility impairments, the…

The Parkinson’s Foundation has started a podcast series on new research findings, advice for those with the disease and their families, and other topics. The podcasts, hosted by Dr. Dan Keller, are being streamed live, and can be downloaded afterward. The series is titled “Substantial Matters: Life and Science of Parkinson’s.” A…