Groundbreaking Parkinson’s trial publishes results

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 7 March 2019

Prep: Cook: Serves:

A breakthrough Parkinson’s trial that featured in a two-part documentary on UK television channel BBC Two has published its results.

The study, which featured in the documentary ‘The Parkinson’s Drug Trial: A miracle cure?’, aimed to investigate whether it was possible to restore damaged neurons by administering protein Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF).

As part of the trial, scientists initially infused GDNF into the brains of six participants living with the condition. Researchers then invited a further 35 individuals with Parkinson’s to take part, with approximately half being administered with a placebo infusion.

Although not conclusive, the results suggest that GDNF had an impact on the brain and researchers believe the topic is worthy of further study.

Dr Alan Whone, principal investigator on the trial, said: “This represents some of the most compelling evidence yet that we may have a means to possibly reawaken and restore the dopamine brain cells that are gradually destroyed in Parkinson’s.

To read more on this topic click here.

For more information on the latest Parkinson’s research please visit the EPDA website.

Could treadmill training improve Parkinson’s symptoms?

Last Month

Next Month

Go Back

Share this story

Comments

Europe

Pizza for Parkinson’s Day helps raise £23,000 for Parkinson’s UK

Domino’s Pizza raises £23,000 for 'We Won't Wait' campaign

Are we too focused on the search for a Parkinson’s cure?

We ask Parkinson’s experts for their views on this controversial debate

Coronavirus and Parkinson’s: experts answer the big questions

5 key takeaways from a webinar by US charity Parkinson’s Foundation

Wearable device for Parkinson’s disease raises $10m in funding

UK-based tech company Charco Neurotech has secured $10 million in seed investment funding to support the launch of a non-invasive wearable device designed for people with Parkinson’s disease. CUE1 is a circular device worn on the sternum, which is designed to help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms through specialised vibrations that are personalised for each patient. The investment round, which was co-led by venture capital company Amadeus Capital Partners and growth fund managers Parkwalk Advisors, is the largest European seed financing in 2021 for a heath technology device – and the sixth largest globally. Lucy Jung, co-founder and CEO of Charco Neurotech, said: “This funding will enable us to proceed with our first, limited launch, while we work to ensure our manufacturing line is robust and produces consistent high quality devices.” Charco also recently announced a new partnership with the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA), to help increase the availability of Charco’s…

Does Parkinson’s disease start in the nose?

An international team led by the University of Ottawa in Canada will study whether the scent-processing nerves inside the nose may play a part in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers will explore potential connections between inflammation, environmental exposures in the nasal cavity, odour processing centres in the brain and Parkinson’s-related genes. The scientists hope that if the study indicates that Parkinson’s starts in the nose, early signs of the condition could potentially be detected sooner. This research, which will use human and animal models, has been made possible by a US $9m grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative, which aims to improve understanding of the causes of the condition. “This grant will allow us to explore an understudied but important aspect of Parkinson’s, which could lead to new approaches for early treatment and prevention,” said Professor Michael Schlossmacher, team leader of the study.

Study finds gene therapy may restore effects of Parkinson’s drug

Levodopa is a drug commonly used to treat Parkinson’s as it helps to increase dopamine levels in the brain and improve problems with movement. In later stages of the condition, however, this treatment can become less effective. Now, findings from a US preclinical study have suggested that a new gene therapy may help to restore the effects of levodopa in people with the condition. The researchers used mice models of Parkinson’s to test the effects of the gene therapy, targeting a small region in the brain where dopamine-releasing neurons are present. They found that the therapy increased the neurons’ ability to convert levodopa to dopamine – and discovered that damage to the mitochondria in dopamine-releasing neurons may be enough to trigger Parkinson’s onset. The scientists hope their findings will encourage the development of therapies to preserve the function of these neurons, and support patients in the later stages of Parkinson’s.

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Groundbreaking Parkinson’s trial publishes results

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 7 March 2019

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Europe

Pizza for Parkinson’s Day helps raise £23,000 for Parkinson’s UK

Special reports

Are we too focused on the search for a Parkinson’s cure?

Global update

Coronavirus and Parkinson’s: experts answer the big questions

Wearable device for Parkinson’s disease raises $10m in funding

Does Parkinson’s disease start in the nose?

Study finds gene therapy may restore effects of Parkinson’s drug

{title}

Subscribe

Groundbreaking Parkinson’s trial publishes results

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 7 March 2019

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Europe

Pizza for Parkinson’s Day helps raise £23,000 for Parkinson’s UK

Special reports

Are we too focused on the search for a Parkinson’s cure?

Global update

Coronavirus and Parkinson’s: experts answer the big questions

Wearable device for Parkinson’s disease raises $10m in funding

Does Parkinson’s disease start in the nose?

Study finds gene therapy may restore effects of Parkinson’s drug

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in