Rosalba Mancuso is a bilingual freelance journalist based in Sicily. Writing in English and Italian, she has contributed to national magazines and newspapers for over 30 years, as well as international publications. She also dedicates her writing to spreading awareness about living with Parkinson’s disease. Getting Parkinson’s is not…
The STING protein, which has been linked to cell damage and brain inflammation — two known contributing factors to Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases — has a dual function, a study found. The researchers said their finding could have implications for treating Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Lysosomes,…
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded a $14.7 million research grant to Verily, an artificial intelligence platform for health analytics, to generate a detailed set of molecular information for Parkinson’s disease research. Verily will analyze biological samples, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid, from participants in the…
Ring-shaped small proteins called macrocyclic peptides — originally developed to target proteins linked to diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease — have now been shown in a laboratory to also prevent alpha-synuclein from forming the hallmark toxic clumps observed in Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to researchers from the Technical University of…
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is expanding its Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) to provide free Parkinson’s disease risk screening to people 40 years and older. The move will allow PPMI to screen more people using blood testing and tests of smell loss, a possible early…
In my columnist profile, I describe myself as a “patient research scientist,” although I’m not a real scientist (and I’m not patient). This description probably applies to most people with neurological disorders, as we’re constantly searching for new therapies that might work. And if you’re like me, you need to…
Inflammation visible in brain scans of people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease may serve as an early indicator of dementia risk and offer a promising target for interventions aimed at preventing cognitive decline, a study suggests. “[O]ur findings suggest that significant … neuroinflammation in early [Parkinson’s] might…
Defects in VPS13C, a protein whose dysfunction has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, can prevent cells from repairing damage to their waste disposal systems, a study shows. VPS13C and other proteins associated with genetic forms of Parkinson’s help repair damaged lysosomes, which are cell components that recycle waste. Without…
A newly developed test was able to distinguish — with an accuracy of 95% — between individuals with and without Parkinson’s disease, using samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, according to a new study from Germany. The researchers noted that Parkinson’s often…
I was only 25 years old when I learned that I was going to be a mother. Although I still felt somewhat like a child myself, I couldn’t wait to become a mommy. I dreamed about meeting my baby every night for nine months straight. Throughout each stage of my…
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