Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Researchers find new drug target for mitochondrial dysfunction

Mitochondria, long known as "cellular power plants" for their generation of the key energy source adenosine triphosphate (ATP), are essential for proper cellular functions. Mitochondrial defects are often observed in a variety of diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, and are the hallmarks of a number of genetic mitochondrial disorders whose manifestations range from muscle weakness to organ failure. Despite a fairly strong understanding of the pathology of such genetic mitochondrial disorders, efforts to treat them have been largely ineffective.

28 Mar 2014

Study points to potential culprit that kills motor neurons in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is marked by a cascade of cellular and inflammatory events that weakens and kills vital motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The process is complex, involving cells that ordinarily protect the neurons from harm. Now, a new study by scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital points to a potential culprit in this good-cell-gone-bad scenario, a key step toward the ultimate goal of developing a treatment.

27 Mar 2014

XBP1 gene plays pivotal role in the growth and progression of triple negative breast cancer

Scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Houston Methodist have found that a gene previously unassociated with breast cancer plays a pivotal role in the growth and progression of the triple negative form of the disease, a particularly deadly strain that often has few treatment options. Their research, published in this week's Nature, suggests that targeting the gene may be a new approach to treating the disease.

25 Mar 2014

People who develop diabetes in middle age are more likely to have brain cell loss in old age

People who develop diabetes and high blood pressure in middle age are more likely to have brain cell loss and other damage to the brain, as well as problems with memory and thinking skills, than people who never have diabetes or high blood pressure or who develop it in old age, according to a new study published in the March 19, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Mar 2014

Scientists to study memory and learning in patients with Parkinson disease

Kessler Foundation scientists collaborated with colleagues in Spain to study memory and learning in patients with Parkinson Disease (PD). They found that the Parkinson group's ability to learn new information was significantly poorer when compared with the control group.

20 Mar 2014

Computer analysis of various subtypes of asthma could eventually lead to improved therapy, says study

So many variables can contribute to shortness of breath that no person can keep them all straight. But a computer program, capable of tracking more than 100 clinical variables for almost 400 people, has shown it can identify various subtypes of asthma, which perhaps could lead to targeted, more effective treatments.

19 Mar 2014

Research roundup: Medicaid eligibility; tracking discontinued randomized trials; decline in work-based insurance

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), changes in income and family circumstances are likely to produce frequent transitions in eligibility for Medicaid and health insurance Marketplace coverage for low- and middle-income adults.

17 Mar 2014

People with prehypertension more likely to develop stroke

Anyone with blood pressure that's higher than the optimal 120/80 mmHg may be more likely to have a stroke, according to a new meta-analysis published in the March 12, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Mar 2014

Researchers examine role of alpha-synuclein in neuronal cells

Alpha-synuclein is a principal component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, which are pathologic hall-marks of Parkinson's disease. Alpha-synuclein is generally considered to play a role in synaptic activity, although its function remains largely unknown.

13 Mar 2014

STC Life and 97.7 B&H Clinic successfully treat pulmonary fibrosis patient

Stem cell research institute of STC Life Co., Ltd. (Chairman: KYE HO LEE) and 97.7 B&H Clinic (Representative Doctor: WON JU JUNG) successfully finished mesenchymal stem cell therapy for the pulmonary fibrosis patient who visited Korea from Calgary, Canada.

12 Mar 2014

Parkinson disease patients with higher CSF experience faster cognitive decline

Counterintuitive Findings Offer New Insights into Parkinson Disease Pathology, According to New Research Published in The American Journal of Pathology

12 Mar 2014

NeuroDerm enrolls patients in second ND0612 Phase II clinical trial for treatment of Parkinson's disease

NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today that enrollment of patients is ongoing in its second Phase II clinical trial of ND0612, a novel drug formulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. ND0612 is a proprietary levodopa/carbidopa liquid formulation under development for continuous subcutaneous administration through a patch pump. It is designed to provide steady levodopa blood levels for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

11 Mar 2014

Parkinson's patients under risk of developing dementia can be identified quickly, say researchers

It may now be possible to identify the first-stage Parkinson's patients who will go on to develop dementia, according to a study conducted at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal by Dr. Oury Monchi, PhD, and his postdoctoral student, Dr. Alexandru Hanganu, MD, PhD, both of whom are affiliated with Université de Montréal.

11 Mar 2014

Singapore's largest institute launched to improve treatment for stroke, Parkinson disease

The National Neuroscience Research Institute Singapore - a joint venture by the National Neuroscience Institute and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School - has been launched to improve treatment and seek cures through research for brain and nervous system disorders such as stroke, Parkinson disease and dementia.

11 Mar 2014

FDA accepts Lundbeck's carbamazepine NDA for review

Lundbeck LLC today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review a New Drug Application (NDA) for its investigational therapy intravenous carbamazepine, an intravenous formulation of the anti-epileptic drug (AED) carbamazepine. An action letter is anticipated before the end of 2014. Carbella is the proposed U.S. trade name for intravenous carbamazepine.

10 Mar 2014

FDA-approved anti-psychotic drugs possess tumor-killing activity against glioblastoma

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that FDA-approved anti-psychotic drugs possess tumor-killing activity against the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer, glioblastoma. The finding was published in this week's online edition of Oncotarget.

8 Mar 2014

Mechanism for pesticide effect on PD risk uncovered

Some pesticides may contribute to Parkinson’s disease risk by inhibiting neuronal aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, a study suggests.

7 Mar 2014

Salivary gland biopsy could confirm PD in the living

Biopsy of the submandibular gland could confirm the presence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in living patients with clinical symptoms, research suggests.

7 Mar 2014

Circadian dysfunction blamed for sleepiness in PD patients

Patients with Parkinson’s disease, particularly those with excessive daytime sleepiness, have reduced melatonin levels and amplitude of the melatonin circadian rhythm, research shows.

6 Mar 2014

Alzheimer's disease may contribute to close to as many deaths as heart disease

A new study suggests that Alzheimer's disease may contribute to close to as many deaths in the United States as heart disease or cancer. The research is published in the March 5, 2014, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Mar 2014