Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

American Academy of Neurology breaks ground for new headquarters, donates 1,000 children's bike helmets

The American Academy of Neurology will provide 1,000 free bike helmets for children who attend one of the many Bike Fests in north Minneapolis this summer, beginning with the first Bike Fest this Saturday, May 21, 2011. The donation coincides with today's groundbreaking ceremony for the Academy's new headquarters in Minneapolis, across from the Guthrie Theater.

20 May 2011

AMT presents long-term efficacy study of Glybera in treatment of lipoprotein lipase deficiency

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today results from a long-term efficacy study of Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec) that showed improved chylomicron metabolism could be used as a biomarker for increased lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in those patients missing the gene that produces this protein.

20 May 2011

GIS discovery could help generate stem cells more efficiently for biomedical applications

A team of scientists from Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells.

20 May 2011

Pharma Two B plans to initiate P2B001 Phase II study in Parkinson's disease

Pharma Two B announced today it is planning a Phase II study of its new combination therapy, P2B001, in development as a treatment for the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Assuming regulatory approval and the necessary financing, the company plans to commence the Phase II trial in Q4 2011.

18 May 2011

Coffee reduces prostate cancer risk

In the 20-year study of almost 50,000 men, researchers noted that those who drank at least six cups a day were 20 per cent less likely to get prostate cancer than those who never took coffee. Strikingly, they were 60 per cent less likely than the non-coffee drinkers to die of the disease. The researchers also say that decaffeinated coffee is just as effective.

17 May 2011

Researchers uncover unexpected role of estrogen receptors in brain inflammation

Researchers have uncovered an unexpected role for estrogen receptors in the brain in keeping inflammation under control. The findings reported in the May 13 issue of the Cell Press journal Cell may have important implications for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and many other neurodegenerative diseases.

13 May 2011

UCSD scientists discover steroid hormone that inhibits brain inflammation

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a steroid hormone that inhibits inflammation in the brain. The findings, to be published in the May 13 issue of the journal Cell, have implications for understanding the exaggerated inflammatory responses that are characteristic features of numerous neurodegenerative diseases.

13 May 2011

New circumcision treatment can reduce HIV

Promising study results published in the May issue of JAIDS show that a novel medical device has the potential to revolutionize how male circumcision services are offered in countries hardest hit by the HIV epidemic.

13 May 2011

Study offers hints to why Parkinson's so selectively harms dopamine-producing cells

New data offer hints to why Parkinson's disease so selectively harms brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine, say researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

13 May 2011

Copper intake linked to increased probability of developing Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Banner Sun Health Research Institute has found further evidence linking copper to the increased probability of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the current issue of the International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 2011, Article ID 987023.

12 May 2011

Researchers identify mitochondrial proteins that can affect human ageing

Mitochondria are the body's energy producers, the power stations inside our cells. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now identified a group of mitochondrial proteins, the absence of which allows other protein groups to stabilise the genome. This could delay the onset of age-related diseases and increase lifespan.

10 May 2011

First UK study to look at dance effects on people with Parkinson's

A study that will look at the types of dance that may alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease will be carried out by University of Hertfordshire researchers next month and needs volunteers.

10 May 2011

biocrea and Pfizer jointly presented details on novel PDE10 inhibitors

biocrea, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on novel treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), today reported details on the design and synthesis of novel, brain-penetrating phosphodiesterase-10 (PDE10) inhibitors developed in collaboration with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE). The data were featured in joint presentations1 with Pfizer at the recent 241st ACS National Meeting & Exposition, an event organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

10 May 2011

Teen drinkers spend more time on computers frequenting social networking sites

Teenagers who drink alcohol spend more time on their computers for recreational use, including social networking and downloading and listening to music, compared with their peers who don't drink.

10 May 2011

Teen alcohol consumption associated with computer use

Teenagers who drink alcohol spend more time on their computers for recreational use, including social networking and downloading and listening to music, compared with their peers who don't drink.

9 May 2011

Heptares, Shire sign deal to develop novel A2A antagonist for CNS disease treatment

Heptares Therapeutics today announced it has signed an exclusive option agreement with Shire Pharmaceuticals for a novel adenosine A2A antagonist discovered by Heptares and currently in preclinical development.

9 May 2011

New international project to create more mutant genes, address shortage of Cre resources

Local scientists are now part of an International team compiling an enormous bank of resources for research into the functions of all known genes. The development of these biological resources will eventually allow scientists to know how the human genome behaves in health and disease.

9 May 2011

Novel neurotransmitter could fight against neurological diseases

A team of scientists has discovered that D-aspartic acid is a novel neurotransmitter that could potentially be used in the fight against neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

6 May 2011

Omeros' PDE7 program expands addiction franchise

Omeros Corporation today announced that its phosphodiesterase 7 inhibitors demonstrated robust efficacy in animal models of nicotine addiction.

6 May 2011

UCSF scientists elected as members of National Academy of Sciences for excellence in biomedical research

Alexander D. Johnson, PhD, and Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, have been elected as members of the National Academy of Sciences for their excellence in original scientific research. It is one of the highest honors bestowed on a scientist or engineer in the United States.

5 May 2011