Dopaminergic News and Research

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Potential new class of drugs lessen neurodegeneration in rat model of Parkinson's disease

The first test in a mammalian model of a potential new class of drugs to treat Parkinson's disease shows abatement of neurodegeneration in the brains of test rats and no significant toxicities, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Pfizer Inc. researchers report online in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

26 Jun 2015

New 3D cell culture system could facilitate search for therapeutic agents for Parkinson's disease

The progressive loss of neurons in the brain of Parkinson's patients is slow yet inexorable. So far, there are no drugs that can halt this insidious process.

25 Jun 2015

Researchers develop hPSC-based system for producing connections between neurons in the brain

Human stem cells can be differentiated to produce other cell types, such as organ cells, skin cells, or brain cells. While organ cells, for example, can function in isolation, brain cells require synapses, or connectors, between cells and between regions of the brain. In a new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, researchers report successfully growing multiple brain structures and forming connections between them in vitro, in a single culture vessel, for the first time.

16 Jun 2015

NTCELL Phase I/IIa clinical study meets primary endpoint in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Living Cell Technologies Limited today announced results from a Phase I/IIa clinical study of NTCELL, an experimental regenerative cell therapy being studied as a disease-modifying agent in Parkinson’s disease. The study, conducted in four patients in New Zealand, met its primary endpoint of safety, showing NTCELL implantation was well tolerated, with no adverse events considered to be related to NTCELL.

15 Jun 2015

α-synuclein conformation may underlie neurodegenerative variability

Varying structural conformations of α-synuclein may explain how one protein can give rise to distinct forms of neurodegeneration, say researchers.

12 Jun 2015

New TSRI study integrates neuroscience and psychological research to understand sleep, memory

In Macbeth, Shakespeare describes sleep as "the death of each day's life," but he may have gotten it wrong. Sleep, as it turns out, may be the one thing that keeps our memories alive and intact.

12 Jun 2015

Simple process for obtaining induced pluripotent stem cells without use of reagents

For their ability to differentiate into other cell types, the embryonic stem cells hold a large potential in the medical industry. Their use, however, poses ethical questions due to the fact that in order to obtain them, it is necessary to destroy the embryo. For this reason, medical researches use the so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). In fact, it is possible to reprogram adult cells that can be obtained by simply drawing blood and making them "regress" to a similar state to that of embryonic stem cells.

10 Jun 2015

Brain protein key to binge drinking? An interview with Dr. Candice Contet

Alcohol binge drinking is mostly driven by positive reinforcement, a process in which a rewarding experience (e.g., the euphoria one feels when intoxicated) strengthens the behaviour leading to this experience (e.g., going to a bar).

9 Jun 2015

Resting-state connectivity changes underpinning ICDs identified

The presence of impulse control disorders is associated with reduced resting-state connectivity between part of the associative striatum and both associative and limbic cortical regions in patients with Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests.

5 Jun 2015

Severe nonmotor symptom burden common in early Parkinson’s

Almost all patients with early Parkinson’s disease have nonmotor symptoms, with more than a third having a severe burden of symptoms, a study shows.

5 Jun 2015

Scorpion venom could kill cancer cells

When the toxin invades channels in the cells with this disease produces cellular damage until killing them.

27 May 2015

Brain protein plays key role in controlling binge drinking

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered that a brain protein has a key role in controlling binge drinking in animal models. They found that deleting the gene for this protein in mice ramped up alcohol consumption and prevented the brain from signaling the rewarding properties of alcohol.

12 May 2015

Researchers discover key mechanism in neural death that causes Parkinson's disease

In studying the molecular biology of brain development, a team of researchers led by Ludwig Stockholm director Thomas Perlmann has discovered how disruption of a developmental mechanism alters the very nerve cells that are most affected in Parkinson's disease.

29 Apr 2015

Bilirubin levels raised in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease

Bilirubin levels are upregulated in patients with early Parkinson’s disease and are associated with disease progression at 2 years, a study shows.

7 Apr 2015

Antibodies may trigger psychiatric illness in children

A world first study revealing the presence of two antibodies in a sub-group of children experiencing their first episode of psychosis affirms a longstanding recognition that auto-immune disorders play a significant role in psychiatric illness.

31 Mar 2015

Mexican researcher close to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease, which took world fame after being diagnosed in various personalities such as actor Michael J. Fox, the heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and the painter Salvador Dalí, could be very close to a cure, thanks to a Mexican researcher which managed to eliminate its neurological effects with an immunosuppressant.

25 Mar 2015

Creatine monohydrate disappoints in Parkinson’s disease

Creatine monohydrate fails to live up to its early promise in patients with Parkinson’s disease, show the results of the Long-term Study 1.

13 Mar 2015

Recent clinical study offers hope for potential Parkinson's disease therapies

Researchers have long sought treatments that can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Current treatments have for decades been only symptomatic in nature, supplying the neurotransmitter dopamine, which the dying nerve cells can no longer produce.

18 Feb 2015

Creatine monohydrate disappoints in Parkinson’s disease

Creatine monohydrate fails to live up to its early promise in patients with Parkinson’s disease, show the results of the Long-term Study 1.

13 Feb 2015

Creatine monohydrate fails to slow clinical progression of Parkinson's disease

Treatment with creatine monohydrate for at least 5 years for patients with early and treated Parkinson disease failed to slow clinical progression of the disease, compared with placebo, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.

11 Feb 2015

Dopaminergic News and Research

Potential new class of drugs lessen neurodegeneration in rat model of Parkinson's disease

New 3D cell culture system could facilitate search for therapeutic agents for Parkinson's disease

Researchers develop hPSC-based system for producing connections between neurons in the brain

NTCELL Phase I/IIa clinical study meets primary endpoint in patients with Parkinson’s disease

α-synuclein conformation may underlie neurodegenerative variability

New TSRI study integrates neuroscience and psychological research to understand sleep, memory

Simple process for obtaining induced pluripotent stem cells without use of reagents

Brain protein key to binge drinking? An interview with Dr. Candice Contet

Resting-state connectivity changes underpinning ICDs identified

Severe nonmotor symptom burden common in early Parkinson’s

Scorpion venom could kill cancer cells

Brain protein plays key role in controlling binge drinking

Researchers discover key mechanism in neural death that causes Parkinson's disease

Bilirubin levels raised in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease

Antibodies may trigger psychiatric illness in children

Mexican researcher close to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease

Creatine monohydrate disappoints in Parkinson’s disease

Recent clinical study offers hope for potential Parkinson's disease therapies

Creatine monohydrate disappoints in Parkinson’s disease

Creatine monohydrate fails to slow clinical progression of Parkinson's disease

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