A gene editing approach targeting a specific part of the SNCA gene was able to lower alpha-synuclein levels and protect from Parkinson’s characteristic cellular changes, according to preclinical results. The study, “Downregulation of SNCA expression by targeted editing of DNA-methylation: A potential strategy for precision therapy in…

Using a new screening strategy, researchers have identified compounds that block the clumping of alpha-synuclein protein, a key event in Parkinson’s. The study, “Potent α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitors, Identified by High-Throughput Screening, Mainly Target the Monomeric State,” appeared in the journal Cell Chemical Biology. Aggregated alpha-synuclein is…

Alterations in certain types of fat in a brain area called the substantia nigra may result in elevated levels of the GPNMB protein and drive neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease patients, according to Harvard researchers. The study, titled “The glycoprotein GPNMB is selectively elevated in the substantia nigra of Parkinson’s disease patients…

The Parkinson’s Foundation announced that it investing $6.2 million across 53 research grants, part of its commitment to advancing promising work into the disease. The grants will support Parkinson’s clinical trials and research centers. They also include career development and fellowships for scientists working in multiple aspects of related research. “Our goal at…

Nerve cell damage in a specific area of the brain impairs motor function and slows thought, both of which are symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a mouse study finds. The study, “Loss of glutamate signaling from the thalamus to dorsal striatum impairs motor function and slows the execution…

Neuropsychiatric symptoms, combined with levels of alpha-synuclein, can be used to distinguish dementia with Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s disease dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a study shows. The study, “Neuropsychiatric symptoms and α-Synuclein profile of patients with Parkinson’s disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s…

“Traffic jams” that occur along nerve cells in the brain and disrupt the transport of mitochondria were found to be a significant cause of Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. In particular, researchers found that alpha-synuclein protein aggregates, the hallmark of Parkinson’s, impair the movement of mitochondria, which provide…

Athletes playing contact sports for longer than eight years are six times more likely to develop Lewy body disease — a neurodegenerative disorder causing Parkinson’s-like symptoms — compared to those playing football, ice hockey or boxing for fewer years, a study reports. Its authors suggest that years of continual injury…

The LRRK2 gene may play an important role in nonhereditary Parkinson’s disease, not just the familial form as previously thought, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine​ have discovered. “This discovery is extremely consequential for Parkinson’s disease because it suggests that therapies currently being developed for a small…

Tiny crystals known as quantum dots can block the formation of Parkinson’s hallmark protein clumps, lowering nerve cell death and motor deficits, a mouse study has found. The research, “Graphene quantum dots prevent α-synucleinopathy in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Nature Nanotechnology. Quantum dots are very…