An artificial intelligence (AI)-based software called NetraAI was able to separate subgroups of Parkinson’s disease patients based on their gene activity patterns, helping to better understand the complex pathways that contribute to the neurodegenerative disease. Through the analysis, scientists identified immune signaling as an important disease-related process. The function…

Reduced activity of the RIT2 gene in a subtype of nerve cells — regardless of  whether they produce dopamine — may be implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study that measured gene activity in more than 300,000 individual brain cells. The protein encoded by RIT2…

The activity of multiple genes in the brain varies according to sex among people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. These differences may contribute to discrepancies in how Parkinson’s tends to affect men and women. “While males have a higher age-adjusted disease incidence and are more frequently affected…

Changes in gene activity and protein production were seen in immune cells known as monocytes from Parkinson’s disease patients before and after treatment with sargramostim, an immune-modulating therapy, a small study found. Because these changes were associated with gains in motor function, the researchers suggested that profiling how an immune therapy…

Studies on twins and families have suggested that susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease has a substantial genetic component. Now, an analysis of gene activity in different brain tissues has identified gene candidates that may be directly involved in causing the neurodegenerative disorder. The study, “A transcriptome-wide association study…

Researchers have developed a laboratory assay that measures the activity of the mutated LRRK2 gene — the major genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease. The team behind the study “Phos-tag analysis of Rab10 phosphorylation by LRRK2: a powerful assay for assessing kinase function and inhibitors,” published in the Biochemical Journal, believe…