Parkinson’s

There are a number of methods used to treat Parkinson’s, but one emerging solution could also be the simplest.

Getting Parkinson’s patients moving and active is rapidly being recognised as one of the best possible treatments available. A number of studies have shown the benefits it can have for those with the disease, with the Parkinson’s Foundation highlighting exercise as one of the most accessible ways to help. One group putting this research into practice is PD Warrior, a foundation based on offering fitness classes for those at all stages of the condition.

New understanding of how the production of a protein in the brain is controlled could pave the way for new treatments for a wide range of neurological conditions.

In a newly-released study, researchers investigated a section of genetic material known as antisense long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), which helps fine-tune the production of the protein tau inside brain cells. This precision in tau regulation is crucial for smooth functioning of the nerve cells. Understanding the mechanism which helps regulate tau production could be the key to developing better treatments for conditions including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Anxiety amplifies the physical signs of Parkinson's disease, a new study has revealed.

The study - believed to be the first to explore the lived experience of anxiety for people with Parkinson’s - also revealed that participants did not see talking therapy as a useful solution, and more support was needed for people living with both conditions, along with their carers and health professionals. Led by the University of Plymouth and Glasgow Caledonian University, the research involved in-depth interviews with six people living with Parkinson’s and anxiety. The study covered three male and three female participants, each at varying stages of Parkinson’s, and uncovered primary themes that: • Anxiety amplifies their physical Parkinson’s symptoms • Anxiety affects their cognition and freezes the thought process • Anxiety was ‘always there’ and they were constantly trying to find ways to cope

Having been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s aged 34, fashion designer Genna Douglas was left isolated and confused about how to get on with her life. To make sure no one else suffers a similar fate, she has teamed up with Parkinson’s UK and clothing giant Next to create a range of products that are raising both money and awareness.

The ordinary task of doing the washing up one day would prove to be a huge moment for Genna Douglas, after she noticed her hand was not moving properly. While on maternity leave having just had her second daughter, doctors originally thought the problem was a damaged nerve and she was placed on a course of medication to deal with it.

Pioneering research is underway to develop a drug that could slow the development of Parkinson’s disease.

The project is a partnership between Parkinson’s UK and the University of Sheffield, and is backed by up to £1.2million in funding from the charity. The research aims to create a world-first drug that can protect the dopamine-producing brain cells that are lost in Parkinson’s by targeting mitochondria.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease could be made through a skin swab procedure, after research confirmed it it possible to identify the condition from compounds found on the surface of the skin.

Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed a world-first technique which works by analysing compounds found in sebum - the oily substance that coats and protects the skin - and identifying changes in people with Parkinson’s disease. “We believe that our results are an extremely encouraging step towards tests that could be used to help diagnose and monitor Parkinson’s,” says Professor Perdita Barran, from the University of Manchester, who led the study. “Not only is the test quick, simple and painless but it should also be extremely cost-effective because it uses existing technology that is already widely available.

Immune cells in the blood influence the brain during early development of Parkinson's disease, new research has found.

Until now, Parkinson’s disease has always been considered a brain disorder, but through new research into a sleep disorder, a close link has been established between the disease and certain immune cells in the blood.

A chemical commonly found in discarded waste from the sesame seed oil manufacturing process could have protective effects against Parkinson’s disease, new groundbreaking research has found.

Sesaminol, abundant in the empty shells of sesame seeds which are discarded after the fatty oils are extracted, could have a role to play in protecting against neuron damage in the brain, researchers from Osaka City University have revealed.

Charity Parkinson’s UK is to launch a new company dedicated to driving forward research into Parkinson’s disease.

Vivifi Biotech has been created to lead and plan preparations for a new trial into the role of the restorative protein glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in Parkinson’s. Launched through the charity’s drug development arm, Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, up to £800,000 will be invested over the next two years as efforts continue to find a life-changing new treatment for people living with the disease.

The function of a ‘mystery protein’ in brain cells of people with Parkinson’s has been discovered, in new research hailed as being “vital” in long-term efforts to find a cure for the disease.

Alpha-synuclein is a protein which forms clumps that affect motor and cognitive abilities in pathological conditions, but its role in what it does to neurons in the brain in Parkinson’s has remained unknown. In new research, published today, the ‘mystery protein’ alpha-synuclein “sticks like glue” to the inner face of the plasma membrane of nerve cells, but not to the outer.