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…

Measuring the amount of alpha-synuclein in tiny vesicles collected from blood serum may help diagnose early Parkinson’s and identify patients with different types of this disease. The study with that finding, “Central Nervous System-Derived Exosomal Alpha-Synuclein in Serum May Be a Biomarker in Parkinson’s Disease,” was published…

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…