In this video from Consumer Health Digest, Dr. Ron Desi talks about the basics of Parkinson’s disease and how the progressive neurodegenerative disease affects the body. MORE: How does Parkinson’s disease affect the brain? Dr. Desi explains that Parkinson’s disease usually develops in middle to late…

Researchers at two world-renowned institutions have presented a new theory of how Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its symptoms develop— challenging the dominant view that PD emerges as the protein alpha-synuclein spreads from neuron to neuron in an infection-like manner. In an opinion piece, “The Threshold Theory for Parkinson’s Disease,” the two…

Axovant Sciences has announced the preliminary results of a Phase 2 clinical trial testing the investigational oral drug therapy nelotanserin in patients with either dementia caused by Lewy bodies (DLB), or Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). Nelotanserin is an investigational drug candidate that binds to a receptor of the central…

A treatment widely used to help prevent rejection in organ transplants, called tacrolimus, appears to work to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD) and ideally should be tested in early-stage patients, researchers report. Tacrolimus, marketed under brand names including Prograf, works to suppress the immune system. It is used at high dose with…

While the exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is currently unknown, scientists have come up with four possible theories according to the Mayo Clinic. There are certain genes which, when they become mutated, cause Parkinson’s disease. However, these mutated genes are very rare, except in cases where Parkinson’s…

Squalamine, a natural product known for its cancer- and infection-fighting qualities, has shown promise as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, according to preliminary results of a new study. The research, “A Natural Product Inhibits The Initiation Of α-Synuclein Aggregation And Suppresses Its Toxicity,” was published in the journal…

An international post-mortem brain study of Parkinson’s disease shows altered levels of the LRRK2 protein are associated with different stages of the disease. The study, “LRRK2 levels and phosphorylation in Parkinson’s disease brain and cases with restricted Lewy bodies,” was published in the journal Movement Disorders. Previous studies…

New research helps to explain how alpha-synuclein — the defective protein causing Parkinson’s disease — achieves its structure in neurons. These findings may help understand how aggregates of alpha-synuclein form in the brain of a Parkinson’s patient. The study, “Structural Basis For The Dissociation Of Α-Synuclein Fibrils Triggered By…

Though alpha-synuclein, the dysfunctional protein in Parkinson’s disease that can be found in skin nerve fibers, has been shown to be a reliable biomarker of the condition that could lead to early treatment, more research is needed to standardize diagnostic techniques using biopsies, according to recent study perspective published in …