Small vesicles that contain the protein alpha-synuclein may help distinguish Parkinson’s disease patients from healthy people, according to a meta-analysis. When isolated from easily accessible samples, like the blood, these vesicles may “reflect changes in the brain,” researchers wrote in “Extracellular Vesicles for the Diagnosis of Parkinson’s…

The immune response triggered by UB-312, an experimental vaccine by Vaxxinity, effectively targeted alpha-synuclein protein aggregates and slowed their toxic buildup in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Parkinson’s disease patients in a Phase 1 trial, compared with those given a placebo, data show. The full target engagement triggered…

Plant compounds extracted from the Amomum subulatum fruit, also known as greater cardamom, were found to ease Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms — lessoning tremors and reducing muscular rigidity — in a rat model of features that are hallmarks of the neurodegenerative disorder. The greater cardamom extracts, given orally, worked to increase…

Certain biomarkers in the blood may help doctors in determining whether a person has Parkinson’s disease or atypical parkinsonism, both of which show similar symptoms, a study reported. Three biomarkers — neurofilament light chain (NfL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), particularly, but also 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-HC) — were found at significantly…

A highly sensitive blood test accurately identified people with synucleinopathies, disorders caused by the abnormal aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein, such as Parkinson’s disease. The test, called immunoprecipitation-based real-time quaking-induced conversion (IP/RT-QuIC), detected early-formed alpha-synuclein fibrils — or seeds — that eventually grew into disease-causing aggregates. Microscopic analysis detected…

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were found to be at a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease or related neurodegenerative conditions, a small meta-analysis suggests. “The small number of studies to date provide preliminary evidence of an association between mid- to late-life onset PTSD and subsequent development of [Parkinson’s]…

An assay using skin biopsies, called the Syn-One Test, was able to detect the alpha-synuclein protein that characterizes Parkinson’s disease and like conditions in more than 90% of the patients enrolled in a clinical trial. “These results validate cutaneous [skin-based] alpha-synuclein as a reliable biomarker for Parkinson’s disease and…

A test called the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, or alphaSyn-SAA, can detect Parkinson’s disease with high accuracy, a new study reveals. The research was conducted as part of the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), an international study led by the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research…

Wren Therapeutics has developed oral small molecules that suppress the production of toxic alpha-synuclein protein forms in cellular and mouse models used to study Parkinson’s disease. The potential first-in-class molecules were designed with Wren’s technology platform to hinder processes involved in the generation of alpha-synuclein oligomers, the…

Athira Pharma is completing its Phase 2 clinical trial of the experimental therapy fosgonimeton in people with Parkinson’s disease dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies with fewer participants than its initial target enrollment. According to a recent corporate update, the company has closed recruitment with 28 of…