Alpha-synuclein levels in the gut are linked to Parkinson’s disease, indicating that gut alpha-synuclein may be used in combination with other disease biomarkers to facilitate patients’ diagnosis, a review study found. The study, “Diagnostic utility of gut α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and…
People who have appendectomies have more than three times the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to the findings of a U.S. large-scale study. The study, “Parkinson’s Disease Is More Prevalent In Patients With Appendectomies: A National Population-Based Study,” will be presented during Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2019,…
A new test can analyze cerebrospinal fluid samples and help measure how many toxic aggregates of alpha-synuclein can be found in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The new assessment strategy was developed by Japanese researchers and was reported in a study, “Ultrasonication-based rapid amplification of…
Lack of tissue oxygenation associated with episodes of upper airway obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may increase the levels of alpha-synuclein in the blood and may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease, a study says. The study, “Plasma α‐synuclein levels are increased…
A modified form of the alpha-synuclein protein can be found in the salivary gland tissue of Parkinson’s patients even in the early stages of the disease, suggesting the protein could be a potential biomarker for this neurodegenerative disorder, a study reports. The study, “Nitrated alpha-synuclein in minor salivary gland biopsies…
Tracer compounds with high affinity and selectivity to alpha-synuclein deposits have been identified that could be used to detect and track Parkinson’s disease progression, AC Immune announced. Findings were recently presented in the study, “Identification and Characterization of Selective and High Affinity Small Molecules for Positron Emission…
Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), also called protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), is a diagnostic method that can help in the early detection of Parkinson’s disease by identifying the formation of abnormal clusters of the protein alpha-synuclein. These protein clumps are a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s,…
Atypical parkinsonism refers to a set of symptoms similar to those seen in Parkinson’s disease, but caused by other disorders. Because the symptoms are similar, it can be difficult to distinguish between Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism without extensive diagnostic testing; misdiagnoses are common. Symptoms of atypical parkinsonism…
Two new studies in mice suggest that caffeine might have protective effects in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. The studies, “Chronic Caffeine Treatment Modulates Disease Progression in a Transgenic Alpha-Synuclein Prion-Like Spreading Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease,” and “Chronic Caffeine Treatment Reverses A-Synuclein-Induced…
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has granted more than $1 million to Inflazome to fund the development of a brain-imaging probe that may help track progression of Parkinson’s and develop new therapies for the disease. The funding will help develop a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer…
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