Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

New research shows head size helps measure brain reserve, brain growth

New research shows that people with Alzheimer's disease who have large heads have better memory and thinking skills than those with the disease who have smaller heads, even when they have the same amount of brain cell death due to the disease. The research is published in the July 13, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Jul 2010

MJFF awards $1.1M to six different projects for validating potential therapeutic targets for PD

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research today announced $1.1 million in total funding to six different projects aimed at validating potential therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease.

9 Jul 2010

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease prefer dopamine agonists, shows review

Of the three main types of oral drugs commonly added to levodopa therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, one might be the most effective, according to a new review.

9 Jul 2010

Biologists discover new way to limit formation of teratomas

One of the characteristics of embryonic stem cells is their ability to form unusual tumors called teratomas. These tumors, which contain a mixture of cells from a variety of tissues and organs of the body, are typically benign. But they present a major obstacle to the development of human embryonic stem cell therapies that seek to treat a variety of human ailments such as Parkinson's, diabetes, genetic blood disorders and spinal cord injuries.

9 Jul 2010

iPierian announces closing of $22M Series B equity financing round

iPierian, Inc., the leading biopharmaceutical company using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for drug discovery, today announced the closing of a $22 million Series B equity financing. The financing round was led by new investor Google Ventures, and was joined by Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and ATEL Ventures. All current investors also participated, including: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Highland Capital Partners, MPM Capital and FinTech Global Capital.

9 Jul 2010

Study demonstrates causal relationship between onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and general surgery

A new study spearheaded by Spanish scientists demonstrates a causal relationship between the onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), caused by a protein called a prion, and general surgery. CJD manifests itself in hereditary acquired; and sporadic forms, or for unknown reasons, which accounts for the majority of cases.

8 Jul 2010

USF granted patent for cell transplantation procedure

The University of South Florida's Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair has been granted a patent for a cell transplantation procedure combining human umbilical cord blood cells and a sugar-alcohol compound called "mannitol" that may make a big difference in treating life-threatening neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke, among others.

8 Jul 2010

GSK, XenoPort disappointed with GSK1838262/XP13512 phase 2b study for migraine headaches

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. announced today that GSK1838262/XP13512 (gabapentin enacarbil) did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement compared to placebo as a prophylactic treatment for migraine headaches. This phase 2b dose-ranging study evaluated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of GSK1838262 in adults diagnosed with migraine headache (with or without aura) according to the International Headache Society criteria.

8 Jul 2010

Scientists identify new strategy for treating movement disorders

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and Stanford University have shown how key circuits in the brain control movement. The research, published in the journal Nature not only establishes the function of these circuits, but offers promise for treating movement related disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.

8 Jul 2010

MJFF announces $1.1M for projects to develop biomarker candidates for PD

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research today announced nearly $1.1 million for projects aimed at advancing the development of leading biomarker candidates for Parkinson's disease. The discovery and validation of biomarkers is of critical importance to increasing the speed and efficiency of PD therapeutic development, allowing scientists and clinicians to more accurately identify appropriate subjects for clinical studies, measure disease progression and monitor treatment effects in clinical trials.

7 Jul 2010

MJFF teams up with EHE International to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is teaming up with EHE International to raise awareness of the fight against Parkinson's disease. For the month of July, EHE International has kindly donated a 115-square-foot window space at 10 Rockefeller Plaza to showcase the many ways ordinary citizens can support the Foundation through its grassroots fundraising arm, Team Fox.

7 Jul 2010

Preclinical efficacy data of Sangamo's ZFN based human stem cell therapy for HIV published

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced the publication of data demonstrating the preclinical efficacy of a human stem cell therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) based on its proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein nuclease (ZFN) technology.

6 Jul 2010

Amorfix partners with reMYND to offer A4 amyloid testing services

Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. and reMYND NV today announced the signing of a partnership agreement to offer the Amorfix A4 amyloid testing service to reMYND's contract research clients. reMYND's contract research business offers an extensive portfolio of preclinical in-vivo efficacy, pharmacokinetic and safety testing of experimental Alzheimer therapies using proprietary mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

6 Jul 2010

Depression increases risk of developing dementia later in life

A new study shows that having depression may nearly double your risk of developing dementia later in life. The research will be published in the July 6, 2010, issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Jul 2010

Karolinska Institutet researchers contribute at ESOF 2010

Researchers and staff from Karolinska Institutet are contributing to Europe's largest cross-disciplinary gathering place with news of everything from neuroscience to bioentrepreneurship. Carl Johan Sundberg, university lecturer and associate professor at Karolinska Institutet, is the founder and initiator of ESOF.

3 Jul 2010

VA to develop fully automated, online system for handling disability compensation claims

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today plans to develop a fully automated, online system for handling Veterans' disability compensation claims. More than a simple digitization of existing paper-based claims, the new system is part of VA's modernization of the end-to-end processing workflow. Automation will substantially reduce processing time and increase accuracy while simplifying the way that Veterans interact with the claims process.

3 Jul 2010

States anxiously hoping for extra Medicaid funds extension

Kaiser Health News: "Democrats are leaving Washington for their July 4th recess without passing key parts of their health agenda. Among the provisions being left for when Congress returns from a week-long break: enhanced Medicaid aid for states and a subsidy to help the laid off afford to keep their former employer's health insurance.

3 Jul 2010

XenoPort reports equity awards to new employee under Inducement Award Plan

XenoPort, Inc. reported today that equity awards were made to a new employee subject to the terms and conditions of the XenoPort 2010 Inducement Award Plan. The employee was granted options to purchase an aggregate of 75,000 shares of XenoPort's common stock and restricted stock units representing an aggregate of 5,000 shares of XenoPort's common stock.

2 Jul 2010

Parkinson's Disease Foundation awards $1.2M for research programs

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is pleased to announce awards totaling $1.2 million for research projects designed to understand the cause(s) of and find a cure for Parkinson's disease (PD).

2 Jul 2010

Frozen blood samples shows promise to study mechanism of blood disorders

Cells from frozen human blood samples can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. These cells can be multiplied and used to study the genetic and molecular mechanisms of blood disorders and other diseases.

2 Jul 2010