Mutations in the SNCA and CTSB genes — among the many known to increase the likelihood of Parkinson’s disease — also contribute to the risk associated with mutations in the GBA gene, one of this disease’s most common and significant genetic risk factors, a study shows. Its results further…

High levels of corticosterone — a hormone that regulates energy, immune, and stress responses — is a risk factor for the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to a mouse study. The study, “Chronic corticosterone aggravates behavioural and neuronal symptomatology in a mouse model of alpha-synuclein…

Alpha-synuclein in saliva may be a potential biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent review article, but more research is necessary to determine its reliability as a possible screening approach. The study with that finding, “Salivary alpha‑synuclein as a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review,” was…

Scientist Wenquan Zou, MD, PhD, has received a two-year grant to develop a non-invasive skin test for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Diagnosing these disorders currently requires invasive analysis, either by imaging brain tissue or analyzing the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the…

Women with advanced Parkinson’s disease who are homebound are more likely to live alone and may face greater barriers to accessing support. That finding comes from the study, “Sex-related differences in homebound advanced Parkinson’s disease patients,” which was published in Clinical Interventions in Aging. Parkinson’s motor…

Contrary to current knowledge, alpha-synuclein protein — whose toxic form is responsible for the formation of Lewy bodies — may play a crucial role in preventing cell death by repairing damaged DNA, a study has found. This critical function of the protein may also be lost in Parkinson’s patients, its…

A molecule called GM1 ganglioside may protect the brain against the molecular changes associated with Parkinson’s disease progression, and may one day directly treat its neurodegenerative processes, according to an early study. The study, “GM1 Ganglioside Modifies α-Synuclein Toxicity and is Neuroprotective in a Rat α-Synuclein Model of…

Oxidative stress may be a trigger for Parkinson’s and can promote its progression by facilitating the spread of toxic alpha-synuclein protein across cells, researchers report. Their study, “Oxidative stress in vagal neurons promotes parkinsonian pathology and intercellular α-synuclein transfer,” was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Parkinson’s is…

A protein that has sugar molecules attached to it, called neurexin 1-beta, helps alpha-synuclein enter and accumulate within neurons contributing to the progression of Parkinson’s disease, a study has found. The study, “Identification of N-linked glycans as specific mediators of neuronal uptake of acetylated α-Synuclein,” was published in…

Small amounts of a particular form of alpha-synuclein, known as beta-sheet, may cause a significant loss of dopamine-releasing neurons by recruiting more alpha-synuclein molecules, leading to Parkinson’s-like symptoms and disease progression, according to a recent lab study. The study, “Defining α-synuclein species responsible for Parkinson disease phenotypes…