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…

Seelos Therapeutics has acquired the rights for a gene therapy program targeting the regulation of the SNCA gene, which provides instructions to make alpha-synuclein, a key player in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The accumulation of abnormal (misfolded) alpha-synuclein protein can result in toxic aggregates that lead…

Altered forms of the alpha-synuclein protein travel along the vagus nerve from the gut to the brain where they accumulate, according to a study in mice. It also suggests that blocking this transport could prevent the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The work lends support to theories that Parkinson’s begins…

Enterin Inc has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 1b DEMET clinical trial investigating the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of small molecule ENT-01 to treat Parkinson’s disease dementia. Contacts and locations of participating sites can be found here. Many neurodegenerative disorders involve aggregation of misfolded (harmful)…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded Nitrome Biosciences a Target Advancement grant to further the company’s development of therapies targeting Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, the grant will be used to further Nitrome’s biological studies of a new Parkinson’s drug target. The therapies are…

The formation of alpha-synuclein aggregates in brain nerve cells (neurons) is thought to be one of the hallmarks of Parkinson disease. Researchers now have found that the activity of a single protein, called HYPE, may help halt alpha-synuclein accumulation and reduce its toxic outcomes, including neuronal death. These findings, “…

A molecule called anle138b was able to reduce toxic alpha-synuclein aggregates, or clumps, in the brain — a key event linked to Parkinson’s — and reverse motor symptoms associated with the disease in a novel Parkinson’s mouse model. The study, “Depopulation of dense α-synuclein aggregates is associated…

Connexin-32 — a protein found in small channels between nerve cells and involved in cell-to-cell communication — works to progress Parkinson’s disease by binding to alpha-synuclein and spreading toxic protein clumps throughout the brain, research suggests. The study, “Binding of α-synuclein oligomers to Cx32 facilitates protein uptake and transfer in…

UCB has announced the start of a Phase 1b clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of its therapeutic candidate UCB0599 for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This multicenter clinical trial will take place across the United States. Current treatments for Parkinson’s, which include…

Vitamin B12 can prevent the formation of and destroy alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain, lowering their toxicity and potentially helping to alleviate Parkinson’s disease, according to a study. The study, “Vitamin B12 inhibits α-synuclein fibrillogenesis and protects against amyloid-induced cytotoxicity,” was published in the journal…