Ncardia has launched a human-derived microglia cell model, called Ncyte Microglia, that the company says may help advance research in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions — and which may be a tool in the development of new therapies. Microglia are resident immune cells in the brain that…

Aging microglia, the immune cells of the brain that protect it by fighting infections and clearing debris, may mount a weaker immune response than younger microglia, according to a study that used lab-grown cells collected from mouse pups. Although both young and old microglia react to inflammation, they appear to…

Tiny bubbles containing a flaky form of phosphorus, called black phosphorus, delivered to the brain may help to control overactive microglia — the brain’s resident immune cells — that drive the inflammation damaging to nerve cells in Parkinson’s disease, scientists in China report. In a study in a rat…

The Institute for Glial Sciences, a center dedicated to the role of glial cells in Parkinson’s disease and others affecting the nervous system with a goal of better treatments, is opening at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. It will be led by Paul Tesar, PhD, a professor in…

Scientists have shed new light on the interaction of toxic apha-synuclein clumps — a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease — with microglia, the brain’s immune cells. This interaction was found to be mediated by RAGE, a protein at the surface of microglia, which promoted the release of inflammatory molecules from…

A Parkinson’s-associated variant in the LRRK2 gene affects the gene’s activity in a single group of brain cells: microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain. “Our study demonstrates that cell type should be considered when evaluating the role of noncoding variation in disease pathogenesis [development],” the researchers wrote. The…

A protein called STING, which normally helps sense infectious threats like viruses, may help to drive the inflammation that spurs neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, according to a study in mouse and cell models. The study, “STING mediates neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in nigrostriatal α-synucleinopathy,” was published in …

Mice in a Parkinson’s disease model treated at higher doses with the anti-anxiety medication buspirone had lesser evidence of nerve cell degeneration in the brain and more normalized behaviors than untreated mice, a pair of researchers in Australia reported. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the ability…

Parkinson’s UK and Domainex are teaming up to develop small molecules aimed at lessening chronic brain inflammation and slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease. “We are thrilled to have been selected by Parkinson’s UK to work on this promising project which has the potential to improve the…

Parkinson’s-related mutations in the LRRK2 gene, in the presence of pro-inflammatory stimuli, affect the uptake and trafficking of iron in brain cells, leading to its abnormal accumulation and “mislocalization.” That’s according to a new study in mouse models and cells derived from Parkinson’s patients, which demonstrates “altered regulation of…