Parkinson’s Disease Research News

A new machine learning algorithm is able to automatically able to distinguish between different patterns of progression in patients with a range of different dementias. The algorithm could enable to identify which treatments are most suited to individual patients. ... read more

  Lewy bodies are densely packed, circular clusters of protein that have traditionally been considered a characteristic feature of the Parkinsonian brain. Recently, however, evidence has been accumulating which calls into question this ‘defining feature’ of the condition. The presence Lewy bodies in some cases of other neurological conditions ... read more

A new study looks at the possible causal link between the herpes virus and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers report antiviral drugs significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia in patients with severe herpes infections. ... read more

Researchers report activating microglia may help reduce the imbalance between neuroprotection and neurotoxicity for neurodegenerative diseases. ... read more

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered a potentially new approach to deliver therapeutics more effectively to the brain. The research could have implications for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and brain cancer. ... read more

  Alpha synuclein is a protein that is closely associated with Parkinson’s. But exactly if and how it is connected to the neurodegenerative process underlying the condition, remains unclear.  Last week researchers reported that removing a particular form of alpha synuclein in mice results in a very early onset ... read more

A group of investigators is proposing that targeting immune checkpoints -- molecules that regulate the activity of the immune system -- in immune cells called microglia could reduce the inflammatory aspects of important neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and ALS. ... read more

(Massachusetts General Hospital) A group of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators is proposing that targeting immune checkpoints -- molecules that regulate the activity of the immune system -- in immune cells called microglia could reduce the inflammatory aspects of important neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and ALS. ... read more

Researchers report spontaneous errors in DNA that arise as our cells divide and reproduce may be at the root of Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest the cause of certain neurodegenerative diseases could be traced back to embryonic development. ... read more

Researchers have made a surprise discovery that could help provide treatment options for a range of conditions from Parkinson's disease to depression. Researching how to transform supportive brain cells into neurons, the scientists unexpectedly transformed mature inhibitory striatal neurons into dopamine producing neurons. ... read more

(UT Southwestern Medical Center) UT Southwestern researchers attempting to transform supporting brain cells into neurons instead reprogrammed mature inhibitory neurons into a different type of neuron that creates the neurotransmitter lost in Parkinson's disease. ... read more

(Brigham and Women's Hospital) Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a unique mouse model to induce PD-like αS aggregation, leading to resting tremor and abnormal movement control. This mouse model responds to L-DOPA, similarly to patients with PD. The research team's results on the use of this transgenic ... read more

  An important aspect of developing new potentially ‘curative’ treatments for Parkinson’s is our ability to accurately test and evaluate them. Current methods of assessing Parkinson’s are basic at best (UPDRS and brain imaging), and if we do not improve our ability to measure Parkinson’s, many of those novel ... read more

With the aid of CRISPR gene editing techniques, researchers have identified a new biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. The study reports a deficiency of the protein STIM1 could be implicated in the sporadic version of the neurodegenerative disease. ... read more

  During the last week of September, the Van Andel institute and the Cure Parkinson’s Trust held their annual Parkinson’s research meetings in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The meetings – the Linked Clinical Trials meeting, Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s, and Rallying to the Challenge – provided an opportunity for members of ... read more

  Determining exactly how many individuals there are in the world that are affected by Parkinson’s is a difficult task. Previously, a lot of ‘gues-stimation’ has been used in these quantitative efforts. But a clearer idea of the geographical, national and regional spread of Parkinson’s burden, could provide us ... read more

(Lehigh University) A team from Lehigh University recently identified the fruit fly protein known as Scarlet as a target gene whose function is required to prevent age-dependent loss of dopaminergic neurons in fruit flies. They found that loss of Scarlet activity causes a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and that ... read more

(McGill University) A team of Canadian scientists, including researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) has discovered the first French-Canadian founder mutation gene linked to synucleinopathies, a group of neurodegenerative diseases that includes Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy-Bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). ... read more

At the end of each month the SoPD writes a post which provides an overview of some of the major pieces of Parkinson’s-related research that were made available during September 2018. The post is divided into five parts based on the type of research (Basic biology, disease mechanism, ... read more

Researchers from Spain have now identified a molecule that could stop the development of Parkinson's disease and reverse neurodegeneration. ... read more

(University of South Florida (USF Innovation)) Too many early Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are treating symptoms before they appear, shrinking the pool of candidates for clinical trials and limiting the chances for a cure. ... read more

  In 2017, a research report suggested that people taking the asthma treatment Salbutamol had a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s. In addition, that same study suggested that another medication called Propranolol – which is used for hypertension/high blood pressure – increased ones risk of developing Parkinson’s.  Both drugs ... read more

(University of California - San Diego) In the wake of media and public reports about increased mortality linked to a new drug for treating Parkinson's disease psychosis, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine conducted a retrospective study of qualifying patients in the UC San Diego Health ... read more

Researchers report, for those with a genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer's disease, 2.5 hours of physical activity per week may delay cognitive decline and have beneficial effects on tau in the brain. They speculate the same may be true for those with more common forms of the neurodegenerative disease. ... read more

Parkinson's disease causes one of the highest risks of falling among all neurological conditions. Due to this, many patients develop a fear of falling, even if they've never fallen. Researchers have discovered a way to diagnose subtypes of fear of falling in hopes of improving treatment and quality of life ... read more