U.S. researchers have identified a novel way to block a protein known as DLK, or dual leucine-zipper kinase, that may offer a promising strategy to protect neurons from degeneration — which, the team notes, could pave the way for safer and more precise treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s…

Mice modeling Parkinson’s disease performed better on tests of memory and spatial recognition when given daily under-the-skin injections of PNA5, an experimental ProNeurogen therapy targeting cognitive symptoms — suggesting the treatment’s potential to slow cognitive decline in patients. In this preclinical study, researchers from the University of Arizona…

A new study by scientists in Australia may be set to overturn more than a decade of thinking that the use of the KTP molecule could work as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Titled “Interaction of PINK1 with nucleotides and kinetin” and published in Scientific Advances,…

In a new approach to drug discovery, seven molecules, or “hits,” that may treat familial Parkinson’s disease were identified in the first open science competition run by the Canadian nonprofit Conscience. Launched with support from the global public-private partnership Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and a grant from…

Throughout 2023, we at Parkinson’s News Today brought you coverage of the latest scientific advances and developments in treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Here we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most-read stories published this past year. We look forward to continuing to share more developments with you in…

Researchers have developed a way to generate a family of nerve cells implicated in Parkinson’s disease in the lab using human stem cells, according to newly published research. These cells, found in a brain region called the locus coeruleus (LC), produce a signaling chemical called norepinephrine, or NE. While these…

WTX-A, a small molecule in the pipeline of Wavebreak, was able to reduce the formation of toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, in cells and mouse models of the disease. While it’s still too early to tell if WTX-A can stop the…

Nitrase Therapeutics showed suppressing the activity of an enzyme called synuclein nitrase reduces toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein and normalizes the electrical activity of dopamine-producing, or dopaminergic, neurons derived from Parkinson’s patients. The accumulation of toxic alpha-synuclein clumps is the underlying cause of the progressive death of…

Zonisamide, an epilepsy medication approved in the U.S. for some seizure-causing disorders, may reduce the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, according to a review study of clinical trial data. The findings also suggest the therapy is associated with improvements in daily life activities for Parkinson’s patients, and with reductions…

The hormone irisin prevents the buildup of toxic alpha-synuclein protein, leading to the preservation of nerve cells and easing motor symptoms in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, a study has found. Experiments showed the hormone had an ability to facilitate the breakdown of toxic alpha-synuclein through lysosomes, the…