News

Treating Parkinson’s disease patients with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on both sides of the brain’s motor cortex improves bradykinesia (slow movement) and rigidity, according to a clinical trial analysis presented at the Fourth World Parkinson Congress, in Portland, Ore. The finding resulted from the analysis of a subset of patients from…

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine report their discovery that a protein called LAG3 acts as an enabler for a toxic natural aggregate to spread from cell to cell in the brains of mammals causing Parkinson’s disease development, and also of a means of blocking that protein’s…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded a research grant to Asceneuron to develop small molecules with the potential to treat dementia related to Parkinson’s disease. The grant, in an unspecified amount, from the MJFF Therapeutic Pipeline Program will: Support the further development of M1 PAMs (positive allosteric modulators of the…

The key factor that deals the final death blow to nerve cells exposed to all sorts of injuries, including neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, has been identified. The factor’s finding, and the molecular pathway leading to its activation, may open up new research into ways of stopping or mitigating such events and preserving neurons.

Researchers have synthesized two compounds that resemble caffeine and prevent the misfolding of alpha-synuclein — the culprit of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease. These compounds were shown to effectively prevent the cells from dying. The findings by researchers from University of Saskatchewan in Canada advance the understanding of processes that…

People carrying the most common Parkinson’s disease-related mutation in the LRRK2 gene may start showing symptoms at an earlier age if they also have a mutation in another gene. The findings prompted researchers to suggest that tests for this newly identified mutation could be valuable for genetic counseling of LRRK2…

Researchers have developed a new “cell-free” approach — one derived from stem cells — that may treat Parkinson’s disease while avoiding the immune system risks of other stem cell therapies, according to two studies conducted by researcher Leo Behie, from the University of Calgary, in Canada, and collaborators in Portugal. The newly developed…

Immune reactions, originating in the gut, protect neurons from the damage or death associated with Parkinson’s disease by keeping a check on the mitochondrial health of these nerve cells — at least in the brains of roundworms. The study, “The Mitochondria-Regulated Immune Pathway Activated in the C. elegans…

Great Lakes NeuroTech (GLNT) announced that it will partner with UCB to develop quantitative tools that will help Parkison’s disease (PD) patients and their clinicians to better assess the impact of  treatment. The goal is to improve patients’ individual experiences as well as, ultimately, improve their quality of life.

Researchers have discovered a way to block the spread of alpha-synuclein between neurons, which is believed to be at the core of the progression of the neurodegeneration seen in people with Parkinson’s disease. Interestingly, the drug that was able to block the spread and prevent neuron death is currently in clinical trials…