Parkinson’s
An efficient and robust system using the C. elegans nematode to screen for compounds that can stop the growth of amyloid proteins has been developed by a team of University of Toronto researchers. Through their own screen of over 2,500 compounds, the team found 40 that demonstrate the ability to inhibit amyloid formation. Amyloid proteins [...]
Global think tank the Milken Institute has published an action plan on how to better harness AI and precision medicine to address neurodegenerative disease. The report aims to serve as a resource for patient advocates, philanthropists, researchers, policymakers, and industry to work together to accelerate the ethical adoption of these emerging technologies for maximum impact. [...]
Novel magnetic nanodiscs could provide a much less invasive way of stimulating parts of the brain, paving the way for stimulation therapies without implants or genetic modification, MIT researchers report. The scientists envision that the tiny discs, which are about 250 nanometres across - about 1/500 the width of a human hair - would be [...]
Lewy bodies are a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other related neurological conditions. Understanding why and how they develop is critical to developing better treatments. A study from The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University, in collaboration with its Early Drug Discovery Unit, has recreated the growth of Lewy bodies in human neurons [...]
Researchers have found that a molecule in the brain – ophthalmic acid – unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s and other movement diseases. Researchers observed that ophthalmic acid binds to and activates calcium-sensing receptors in the brain, reversing the movement impairments of [...]
Researchers in the US are investigating whether changes in the eye may indicate early signs of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. A new study at NYU Langone Health will apply a novel eye-imaging technology called visible-light optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease. It has been backed by US$1.6m in grant funding from the [...]
A Parkinson’s UK led consortium will harness the power of big data to accelerate new treatment options in its pioneering Landmark project, which aims to unlock a cure for Parkinson’s. Landmark is a three-year research programme which aims to understand Parkinson’s Disease in more detail. The project will bring together Parkinson’s UK, Imperial College London [...]
A team of scientists has identified a new genetic mutation that may cause a form of early-onset Parkinsonism. The mutation, located in a gene called SGIP1, was discovered in an Arab family with a history of Parkinson's symptoms that began at a young age. The study reveals that this mutation affects how brain cells communicate, [...]
A new study has shown that people who have a history of upper gastrointestinal damage have a 76 per cent higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease later in life. Typically, Parkinson's disease has been thought to originate in the brain, however, recent research has stipulated the gut-first hypothesis of Parkinson's disease which suggests that people [...]
A new three-year research programme, bringing together charities, universities and global pharmaceutical giants, is aiming to understand Parkinson's in unprecedented detail. The Landmark project brings together Parkinson’s UK, Imperial College London, GSK, Novartis, Roche and UCB for the first time, and is backed by £4m from the Gatsby charitable foundation. Parkinson’s is the fastest growing [...]
