Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research, a Brain Canada program, has awarded two early-career scientists CA$100,000 (about $74,180) each in grants to advance research projects into Parkinson’s disease. Maria Ioannou, PhD, an assistant professor of physiology at the University of Alberta, is exploring alpha-synuclein protein clumping, a hallmark…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough device designation to Inbrain Neuroelectronics’ neural platform for its potential to provide more effective deep brain stimulation (DBS) as an add-on Parkinson’s treatment. The platform — called Intelligent Network Modulation System — combines skin-like graphene material and artificial…
Measuring levels of an enzyme called DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) in the blood or fluid around the brain and spinal cord may help distinguish Parkinson’s disease and related disorders from non-Parkinsonian neurodegenerative diseases, a study reports. “Since the symptoms of various neurodegenerative brain diseases resemble each other, there is a…
When the alpha-synuclein protein is present at high concentrations around cellular membranes, it lifts up rather than lying flat against the membrane, making it more prone to clumping, a study shows. The finding may offer insight into the molecular mechanisms that drive Parkinson’s disease, where toxic clumps of alpha-synuclein…
Michael J. Fox has received the 2023 Elevate Prize Catalyst Award in recognition of his work with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), an organization dedicated to developing better treatments, and eventually, finding a cure for the Parkinson’s disease. Granted by the Elevate Prize…
Dopamine-making neurons — whose loss characterizes Parkinson’s disease — produce thousands of circular RNA molecules that, beyond their normal duties, may play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, a study reports. “Circular RNA has long been cast aside as junk, but we believe it has an important role in programming…
Note: This story was updated Sept. 20, 2023, to reflect that Acadia is working on Nuplazid’s development as a treatment for schizophrenia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the prescribing label for Nuplazid (pimavanserin) — an approved therapy for Parkinson’s disease-related hallucinations and delusions…
The parkin enzyme — whose loss is a known genetic risk factor of Parkinson’s disease — not only helps to regulate healthy activity of energy-generating mitochondria, but also plays critical roles in nerve cell communication, according to a study using patient-derived neurons. Particularly, parkin loss resulted in defective recycling…
The Parkinson’s Foundation has launched a day of giving in an effort to encourage Parkinson’s disease awareness and raise funds to accelerate research and improve care for people living with the neurodegenerative disease. The inaugural event, called A Day to Reach Further, is today, Sept. 19. Lasting…
The 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences has been awarded to three researchers who made groundbreaking discoveries related to the genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease. Breakthrough Prizes, popularly called the “Oscars of Science,” honor researchers who’ve made impactful discoveries across the life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. There were…
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