Levels of alpha-synuclein, beta-amyloid, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord can help identify Parkinson’s disease and distinguish it from atypical parkinsonism, according to a review study. The study, “A meta-analysis of the diagnostic…

An experimental vaccine that stimulates immune responses against three regions of the alpha-synuclein protein — whose toxic clumps contribute to Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) — is moving into late-stage preclinical research aimed at supporting future requests to test it in clinical trials. Called PV-1950R,…

Changes in the structure of 76 proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of people with Parkinson’s disease were seen when compared with those of healthy individuals, a study reported. Its researchers believe their work is the first to look at protein structure — rather than abundance — to identify potential…

Early studies in nerve cells and a rat model of Parkinson’s disease support the potential of fosgonimeton, also known as ATH-1017, to be neuroprotective and possibly disease modifying, Athira Pharma, the therapy’s developer, reported. Data from preclinical work showed that the therapy increased cell survival in the…

NKGen Biotech is partnering with the Parkinson’s Foundation to help accelerate clinical research on its natural killer cell therapy, SNK01, for advanced Parkinson’s disease. “We are very impressed with the Parkinson’s Foundation’s holistic approach towards improving patient care and supporting cutting-edge research,” Paul Y. Song, MD, NKGen…

People who go on to develop a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s may experience poorer overall health and show signs of disease many years before they get diagnosed, according to a study from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. For those with Parkinson’s, grip strength in both hands…

Zonisamide, an epilepsy medication approved in the U.S. for some seizure-causing disorders, may reduce the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, according to a review study of clinical trial data. The findings also suggest the therapy is associated with improvements in daily life activities for Parkinson’s patients, and with reductions…

Researchers have developed a test that may help to more accurately diagnose Parkinson’s disease and monitor its progression. It combines two already-used laboratory techniques to measure clumps of alpha-synuclein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Alpha-synuclein is the protein that progressively builds to toxic levels in the brain and…

Using a newly created probe and non-invasive PET scans, researchers were able to visualize sites of alpha-synuclein protein clumps — associated with nerve damage in Parkinson’s disease — in the brains of living patients, scientists reported. This method may help in diagnosing conditions related to alpha-synuclein clumping, referred to…

Enrollment is now complete for a Phase 2 trial of NYX-458, Aptinyx’s investigational therapy to treat cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson’s disease. After a pause in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial resumed enrolling in April 2021. Now, a total of 99 adults, ages…