Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute and Johns Hopkins University have discovered that salicylic acid, the primary product from aspirin breakdown, binds to and blocks an enzyme thought to play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. The research paper, titled “Human GAPDH Is a Target of Aspirin’s Primary…
The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) announced that a proud milestone has been reached: it recently aided the 50,000th caller through its toll-free NPF Helpline. “NPF’s Helpline links our groundbreaking research to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s today directly with the community we serve,” John Kozyak, the NPF’s Chairman of the…
Researchers have identified a specific protein involved in the functional upkeep of synaptic activity and detailed the process behind optimal neurotransmission — an activity whose breakdown is a defining feature of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The research paper, entitled “Hsc70-4 Deforms Membranes to Promote Synaptic Protein Turnover by Endosomal Microautophagy” was published…
Exercise can be a powerful prescription for improving movement in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Researchers, trying to pinpoint those exercises that might best quell PD symptoms, recently reported that both power training and yoga were helpful to older people with PD. Their study, titled “Comparative Impact of Power Training…
Scientists have identified a new strategy to attenuate one of the side effects — uncontrolled movement — caused by levodopa, the most effective treatment in the management of Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The study, entitled “M4 Muscarinic Receptor Signaling Ameliorates Striatal Plasticity Deficits in Models of L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia,” was published…
Plant-produced flavonoids may help ward off Parkinson’s disease according to a new article from researchers in Malaysia and Australia. The report, titled “Protective Mechanisms of Flavonoids in Parkinson’s Disease,” appeared in the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder in which dopamine cells…
Boston University School of Medicine and Northeastern University researchers have proposed a molecular mechanism by which only certain mutations in human apoA-1 protein cause familial amyloidosis while others do not. The research paper, entitled “Structural Stability and Local Dynamics in Disease-Causing Mutants of Human Apolipoprotein A-I: What Makes the…
The Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) has announced the expansion of its neurodegenerative disease research program, with Dr. Gerhard Coetzee and Dr. Viviane Labrie joining its Center for Neurodegenerative Science. The center’s focus is the development of new therapies for brain repair, the discovery of biomarkers, and the study of the molecular,…
A team of specialists working for the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) have developed a novel tool for healthcare professionals that could have a significant impact in Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis and treatment, particularly in its early stages. It also may benefit disease research. The development of the tool, actually a set of…
At the first Spark Summit Europe, a presentation by Intel researchers in cooperation with the Michael J. Fox Foundation proposed that Big Data could be the key to unlocking the mysteries of Parkinson’s disease. Summit Europe is the premier event bringing together the community known as Apache Spark, a…
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