Levodopa News and Research

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Increased signaling by sonic hedgehog protein can inhibit LID in Parkinson's patients

Levodopa, or L-dopa, is considered the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease today. After a few years of treatment, however, almost all patients develop a debilitating side-effect called L-dopa induced dyskinesia, or LID, which causes involuntary movements in the limbs, face, and torso. Deep brain stimulation can alleviate LID, but the procedure is highly invasive and not all patients are eligible.

23 Sep 2021

European study sheds light on the burden of Parkinson’s disease in patients and their carers

Results of a new European study published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease may help improve clinical practice by shedding light on the lives of people with PD and their carers, re-emphasizing the many challenges they face in everyday life.

31 Aug 2021

Gene therapy shows promise in children with devastating genetic disorder

Children with a devastating genetic disorder characterized by severe motor disability and developmental delay have experienced sometimes dramatic improvements in a gene therapy trial launched at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.

12 Jul 2021

Nanoscale coordination polymers show promise for efficient dopamine delivery in Parkinson's treatment

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in a part of the brain (known as substantia nigra pars compacta), which leads to a deficit of dopamine (DA), one of the main neurotransmitters active in the central nervous system.

1 Jun 2021

New gel could be used as nasal spray for treating Parkinson's patients

Scientists at the University of York have made significant progress in the development of a nasal spray treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease.

25 May 2021

Step length synergy while crossing obstacles found to be lower in Parkinson’s patients

A multidisciplinary research group affiliated with the Department of Physical Education's Human Movement Laboratory at São Paulo State University in Bauru, Brazil, measured step length synergy while crossing obstacles in patients with Parkinson's disease and concluded that it was 53% lower than in healthy subjects of the same age and weight. Step length is one of the main variables affected by the disease.

7 Apr 2021

Defective metabolism of Parkinson’s drug is linked to adverse side effects

Until now, the reason why the drug levodopa (L-Dopa), which reduces the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, declines in efficacy after a few years' use has been unknown.

7 Jan 2021

Tomatoes could become a new, natural source of Parkinson's disease drug

Scientists have produced a tomato enriched in the Parkinson's disease drug L-DOPA in what could become a new, affordable source of one of the world's essential medicines.

9 Dec 2020

Experts review common and vexing issues affecting people with Parkinson's disease

Well over six million people globally have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which has an enormous impact on the lives of patients and their families and incurring mounting costs for society.

24 Sep 2020

Ceftazidime flagged as a potential inhibitor of the SARS-COV-2 virus

After screening more than 3,500 FDA-approved drugs and small molecules, researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that ceftazidime, an antibiotic approved for use in treating pneumonia, binds to the receptors that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to in human cells.

17 Sep 2020

NTU-incubated start-up plans clinical trial of new slow-release pill for Parkinson’s disease

Materials scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new pill which uses the stomach as a drug reservoir and delivers medicines slowly over time to patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

16 Sep 2020

Parkinson's disease drug may improve vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration

Investigators have determined that treating patients with an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with levodopa, a safe and readily available drug commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease, stabilized and improved their vision.

10 Sep 2020

New project improves timely administration of drugs to hospitalized Parkinson's patients

Timely administration of anti-Parkinson drugs is a significant issue for hospitalized patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with late or missed doses resulting in longer stays and worse outcomes.

9 Jul 2020

Research reveals mechanism underlying Parkinson's dyskinesia

Many people with Parkinson's disease eventually develop debilitating movements called dyskinesia, a side effect of their much-needed dopamine replacement medication.

3 May 2020

Experimental drug offers hope for improving movement symptoms of Parkinson's

Results from a study looking at an experimental drug to tackle the debilitating side effect of dyskinesia, have offered hope that it may have potential as a future treatment for people with Parkinson's.

2 Mar 2020

New radiotracer to improve image-based differential diagnostics of Parkinson’s disease

An interdisciplinary team from the Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research headed by Prof. Peter Brust has won HZDR's (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf) third Innovation Contest.

27 Feb 2020

Study shows nilotinib drug is safe and well tolerated in patients with Parkinson's disease

A clinical trial investigating the repurposed cancer drug nilotinib in people with Parkinson's disease finds that it is reasonably safe and well tolerated.

17 Dec 2019

Researchers identify new factors associated with higher mortality rates in Parkinson's patients

By following a group of newly diagnosed patients with Parkinson's disease for a decade or more, researchers have been able to identify several factors never before reported that appear to be associated with higher mortality rates in PD patients compared to the general population.

8 Nov 2019

Does bipolar disorder increase the risk of Parkinson's disease?

A review published by the JAMA Network has found that the risk of Parkinson's disease is significantly higher in those with bipolar disorder.

18 Oct 2019

Novel clinical trial to examine use of cannabidiol in people with Parkinson's-related psychosis

A pioneering clinical trial will investigate the use of cannabidiol (CBD) - a compound found in the cannabis plant - in people with Parkinson's-related psychosis.

14 Oct 2019