# # # # At the end of each month the SoPD writes a post which provides an overview of some of the major pieces of Parkinson’s-related research that were made available during February 2022. The post is divided into 10 parts based on the type of research: Top 5 pieces of Parkinson’s news Articles of general interest Basic biology Disease mechanism Clinical research New clinical trials Clinical trial news Conferences/lectures Other news Review articles/videos # # # #

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So, what happened during February 2022?

In world news:

February 2nd – People from across the world gathered in at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney (Pennsylvania) only to be told by Phil to expect 6 more weeks of winter…

 

February 4th – Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder – who on 24th October 2005, just a few weeks before stepping down as Chancellor, signed a guarantee to cover 1 billion euros of the Nord Stream project costs (Source), before he went on to become manager of Nord Stream 2 – was nominated to join the board of directors at Gazprom, the state-owned Russian energy company behind the Nord Stream 2 pipeline (Source & Source).

 

February 7th – A team of Swiss researchers published stunning data demonstrating how spinal cord stimulation can be used to aid mobility in individuals with spinal cord injury  (Click here to read more about this and click here to read a press release about this study):

 

February 21st – Sad to hear that Dr Paul Farmer passed away in his sleep while in Rwanda, where he had been teaching. Paul co-founded the global non-profit Partners in Health in 1987, with two goals: 1. to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them, and 2. to serve as an antidote to despair.

 

February 23rd – a New Zealand bull (now named “Legend”) who survived being swept 80km down a river, over a waterfall, and almost out to sea, arrived home after his week-long adventure (Click here to read more about this).

 

In the world of Parkinson’s research, a great deal of new research and news was reported:

In February 2022, there were 1,241 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (2,314 for all of 2022 so far). In addition, there was a wave to news reports regarding various other bits of Parkinson’s research activity (clinical trials, etc).

The top 5 pieces of Parkinson’s news

1. New GBA/GCase insights

New research provides interesting new insights into some of the underlying biology associated with GBA-associated Parkinson’s. The GBA gene is a region of DNA that provides the instructions for making an enzyme called GCase. This enzyme functions within cells, inside recycling structures called lysosomes. People with GBA-associated Parkinson’s have a dysfunctional form of GCase. In a new report, scientists reported that the dysfunctional form of the GCase protein can be transported to the lysosome (cellular recycling centre), but it has an inhibitory effect on the entrance of proteins for disposal. This action results in a build up of waste outside the lysosome, including proteins like alpha synuclein and Tau (Click here to read more about this and click here to read a SoPD post about this topic).

 

2. A broken heart is not a bad thing?

A nationwide population‐based matched cohort study using data from the Danish medical registries (1995-2016) has found that myocardial infarction of the heart are associated with a 20% decreased risk of Parkinson’s and a 28% decreased risk of secondary parkinsonism. The study involved 182,000 cases of myocardial infarction & compared that data set with a control cohort of 910,000 individuals (Click here to read more about this and click here to read an associated press release).

 

3. When I travel, I take everything I need

New research reported that mitochondria (the power stations of cells) can transport Pink1 mRNA on their outer surface (via a mechanism involving SYNJ2BP and synaptojanin 2). This action allows for local translation of Pink1 and mitophagy (disposal of mitochondria) wherever it is required within neurons (Click here to read more about this).

 

4. Going really small to tackle LRRK2

Researchers presented data proposing (llama-derived) nanobodies as allosteric modulators of Parkinson’s–associated LRRK2. “In contrast to current type I kinase inhibitors, the studied kinase-inhibitory nanobodies did not induce LRRK2 microtubule association”. “These nanobodies inhibit LRRK2 via a mechanism that differs from the commonly used LRRK2 kinase inhibitors. Importantly, some of these nanobodies selectively inhibit certain LRRK2 activities (Rab phosphorylation) while leaving other activities (autophosphorylation) unaffected” (Click here to read more about this).

5. Remembering Prof John Trojanowski

Many readers of this blog will have little idea who Prof John Trojanowski was, but his passing on February 8th, 2022 at the age of 75, was a very sad event. He had dedicated is life to neurodegenerative research, and his accomplishments are truly astonishing as he sought to advance our understanding of diseases of the brain. He published almost 1,400 co-authored research reports in total and is recognised as one of the “10 most cited neuroscientists in the world.” In fact, Google Scholar calculates his all-time h-index at 246 (to put that in perspective for you, Prof Stephen Hawking had an all-time h-index of 128). His loss is great, but his legacy will be greater (Click here to read more about this).

John Trojanowski (1946-2022) – Click here to read the MJFF tribute

Articles of general interest

• Interesting piece on how prolonged isolation has affected people with Parkinson’s during the pandemic; “The loneliness pandemic was there before the COVID pandemic…Social connection is a nutrient that is just as important as food or water” (Click here to read more about this).
• The Parkinson Society British Columbia has recently posted a series of useful videos for folks who have recently been diagnosed:

• Interesting video on the unmet needs of women living with Parkinson’s:

Basic biology news

• New research explores subcellular proteomics of dopamine neurons in the mouse brain & reveals axonal enrichment of proteins encoded by Parkinson’s-linked genes (Click here to read more about this).
• New research identifies alterations in glutamatergic synaptic transmission in dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra & VTA before the onset of motor impairments in mice carrying the Parkinson’s-associated LRRK2-G2019S variant (Click here to read more about this).
• New research reports that the C-terminal tail of the Parkinson’s-associated protein α-synuclein protects against aggregate replication, but is critical for oligomerization (Click here to read more about this).
• A new protocol describes how to grow human induced pluripotent & embryonic stem cells in a physically confined area (‘spot’) & efficiently differentiate them into a highly enriched population of healthy & functional midbrain dopamine progenitors (Click here to read more about this).

• New research reports that over-expression of Parkinson’s-associated α-synuclein in 5-HT neurons negatively affects brain circuits that control mood & emotions; Intracerebroventricular antisense oligonucleotides rescues (Click here to read more about this).
• Researchers identify 2 helices that shield the kinase domain & regulate LRRK2 conformation + function; Their analysis also reveals allosteric sites for pharmacological intervention & confirm the kinase domain as the central hub for conformational control (Click here to read more about this).
• New research reports that Parkinson’s-associated a-Syn & Tau are able to interact with each other in a biologically relevant context, & that the BiFC assay is an effective tool for studying aSyn-Tau interactions in vitro & in vivo (Click here to read more about this).
• “Despite the fundamental differences of these two Parkinson’s models, α-synuclein overexpression as well as rotenone exposure led to an accelerated autonomous pacemaker frequency of locus coeruleus neurons“; Ca2+-activated K+ channels mediate increased excitability (Click here to read more about this).
• New research reports that red blood cells-derived extracellular vesicles containing pathological oligomeric α-syn causes hyperactivation of circulating monocytes (via receptor mediated endocytosis & activation of Parkinson’s-associated LRRK2 – click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript highlights the “importance of support cells in pesticide-induced Parkinson’s & refocus our attention away from neurons as the sole agent of this disorder”; Single cell analysis of gene expression in mouse substantia nigra pars compacta (Click here to read more about this).

• New research uses translational profiling of mouse dopaminoceptive neurons to reveal region-specific gene expression, exon usage, & striatal prostaglandin E2 modulatory effects (Click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript explores structure-based design & characterization of Parkinson’s-associated Parkin activating mutations; V393D, A401D, & W403A mutations at REP:RING1 able to rescue a Parkin S65A mutant (Click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript explores how trichloroethylene exposure within contaminated drinking water can induce alterations in rat gut microbiome; Implications for chronic conditions, like Parkinson’s? (Click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript suggesting that Parkinson’s-associated alpha synuclein expresses specifically in a subset of synapses in mouse amygdala; Results in input-specific decrease of cortical inputs as a-syn aggregates (Click here to read more about this).
• “Both tau & α-synuclein levels were significantly increased in GBA1 mutant (N370S/WT) cholinergic neurons. Ambroxol significantly enhanced GCase activity & decreased both tau & α-synuclein levels in cholinergic neurons” – encouraging result for GBA-associated Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).

• Researchers report that ceramide activates cathepsin B, & identify a novel role for cathepsin B in mediating prosaposin cleavage to form saposin C – the lysosomal coactivator of GCase. Curiously, this is disrupted in PARKIN-linked Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).
• Researchers present preclinical data investigating cabergoline (a long-acting dopamine agonist used in the treatment of high prolactin levels) & report that it attenuates L-dopa-induced dyskinesia without L-dopa sparing in a rat model of Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).
• New biorxiv manuscript demonstrating that cortical neuronal differentiation is not impaired by elevated levels of the Parkinson’s-associated protein α-synuclein in human pluripotent stem cells (Click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript from Fox BioNet investigators presents a novel Mito DNADX assay allowing accurate real-time quantification of mtDNA damage: A potential blood-based mitochondrial patient stratification biomarker for Parkinson’s; “Levels of mtDNA damage were increased in blood derived from early-stage idiopathic Parkinson’s patients or those harboring the pathogenic LRRK2 G2019S mutation” vs controls; Increased mtDNA damage also found in non-manifesting LRRK2 mutation carriers; “LRRK2 kinase inhibition mitigated mtDNA damage in idiopathic PD models and patient-derived cells”; Should analysis of mtDNA damage as a blood-based patient stratification biomarker be included in future clinical trials? (Click here to read more about this).

• “Unexpected differences in seed-competent α-synuclein across a cohort of neuropathologically comparable MSA brains” in new report; Substantial heterogeneity in seeding activity; Could this lead to future subclassification of MSA? (Click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript suggests that auxilin knockout mice display the cardinal features of Parkinson’s (including progressive motor deficits, α-syn pathology, nigral dopamine cell loss, & neuroinflammation – click here to read more about this).
• “Chronic endogenous nuclear α-synuclein can elicit toxic phenotypes in mice, independent of its aggregation” – Trangenic mice that localize endogenous α-syn to the nucleus exhibit age-dependent motor & gastrointestinal issues (Click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript suggests that chronic activation of the STING innate immunity pathway is sufficient to cause degeneration of dopaminergic neurons; Adult mice expressing constitutively active N153S STING = less dopaminergic neurons (Click here to read more about this).
• New research reports that while fibrillar α-syn can activate the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia, dopamine, L-DOPA, & high extracellular K+ (but not norepinephrine or epinephrine) blocks it (via DRD1 & DRD2 signaling – click here to read more about this).
• A new bioRxiv manuscript presents how COVID-19 infection enhances susceptibility to oxidative-stress in a rodent model of Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).

• A new bioRxiv manuscript evaluates the α-synuclein PET radiotracer (d3)-[11C]MODAG-001 in pigs; “shows excellent brain kinetics and test-retest variability”, but low specificity towards Parkinson’s-associated α-syn (Click here to read more about this).
• Conditional transgenic mice (DATcre/DCCfl/fl mice) demonstrate that Netrin-1 receptor DCC promotes survival of a subpopulation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons; Gene dose effect observed in DCC heterozygotes (DATcre/DCCfl/wt); Loss limited to ventral tier (Click here to read more about this).
• A rather definitive title: “Different α-synuclein prion strains cause dementia with Lewy bodies & multiple system atrophy” – a new paper explores different conformations of Parkinson’s-associated alpha synuclein in HEK cells (in vitro – click here to read more about this).
• Researchers use cell-based models, transgenic Parkinson’s/LBD mice, & postmortem brains to show protein S-nitrosylation of p62 is a critical factor for autophagic inhibition, neurodegeneration & α-syn release/spread (Click here to read more about this).
• Vitamin D pathway component CYP27B1 found to be increased in subpopulation of astrocytes in brain areas associated with Parkinson’s pathology (DMN of vagus, substantia nigra & frontal cortex); They sequester α-Syn oligomers & associated with Lewy body negative neurons (Click here to read more about this).

• New biorxiv manuscript suggests that HLA humanized mice immunized with alpha-synuclein (α-syn32-46) triggers intestinal inflammation; Enteric cell loss & prodromal symptoms of Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).
• New research reports multiple systems atrophy (MSA) phenotype in mouse models is governed by both the strain of alpha synuclein & the host environment, plus strains can directly trigger a detrimental immune response (Click here to read more about this).
• New research proposes the “cellular iron sequestration response” – they find IL-6 drives the toxic neuronal iron sequestration response (in vitro & in vivo); Deferiprone ameliorated DA neuron loss w/o altering IL-6 levels (Click here to read more about this).
• Are DNA double-strand breaks & cellular senescence intermediaries of α-synuclein-induced pathogenesis in Parkinson’s? Transcriptome analysis finds overexpression α-syn leads to cellular senescence with activation of the p53 pathway & DNA damage responses (Click here to read more about this).

 

Disease mechanism

• Kurarinone rescued Parkinson’s model via stabilization of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (Click here to read more about this and click here to read a press release associated with this study).
• New research shows Class-IIa HDAC inhibitor MC1568 partially protecting against neurodegeneration in rat model of PD (Click here to read more about this).
• New research reports that transplanted dopamine neurons in homotopic grafts target nuclei not well innervated by ectopic grafts; GDNF facilitates robust striatal innervation (Click here to read more about this).
• A systematic review/meta-analysis of GLP-1 receptor agonists in pre-clinical models of Parkinson’s; “the overall effect size is positive for both motor outcomes & indicators of dopaminergic neurotransmission despite variations in study outcomes & design” (Click here to read more about this).

• New research presents gene co-expression analysis of the human substantia nigra, highlighting ZNHIT1 as an SNCA co-expressed gene that protects against Parkinson’s-associated α-synuclein-induced impairments (Click here to read more about this).
• “Limited, brain-area-specific astrocyte-to-neuron conversion in mice” – researchers present new data on NeuroD1 overexpression in the CNS (Is this starting to rhyme with the early 2000s – blood-to-brain transdifferentiation? – click here to read more about this).
• Corynoxine B is a natural alkaloid that acts as a neuronal autophagy inducer, but has trouble accessing the CNS. Now, researchers introduce a derivative called CB6 which prevents Parkinson’s-like toxicity in mice (via PIK3C3 complex-dependent autophagy – click here to read more about this).
• Gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila has been reported to be increased in Parkinson’s; Now researchers report that A.muciniphila conditioned medium can initiate α-synuclein misfolding in enteroendocrine cells (in vitro & vivo); Buffering mitochondrial Ca2+ reverts (Click here to read more about this).

• High content screening & proteomic analysis identifies BX795 (a kinase inhibitor) that rescues pathological phenotypes (p.A53TαSyn) in a patient-derived model of Parkinson’s; Affects mTORC1 pathway to restrict protein synthesis & facilitate autophagy (Click here to read more about this).
• miR-181a/b overexpression increases a-Syn-induced dopaminergic neuronal loss in a mouse model of Parkinson’s (miR-181 inhibition=neuroprotective); miR-181a is increased in PD brain; miR-181a/b inhibits genes in synap. transmission, neurite outgrowth, & mitochondrial respiration (Click here to read more about this).
• Adeno-associated virus carrying a CRISPR-Cas9 system (SaCas9-KKH with a single-guide RNA targeting A53T-SNCA) significantly reduced Parkinson’s-associated A53T-SNCA expression levels in vitro & in vivo (rat – click here to read more about this).

 

Clinical research

• A European delphi consensus on safinamide in the treatment pathway of Parkinson’s; “The ability of safinamide to impact some non-motor symptoms may represent the most promising & distinctive feature of this compound” (Click here to read more about this).
• A multi-center case-control study reports that violence against women may account for some of the gender disparity in rates of functional movement disorders (most cases don’t report history of abuse, but relevant risk factor – click here to read more about this).
• New study from the Amyloid Biomarker Study Group suggests “that preclinical & prodromal Alzheimer’s may be more prevalent today than previously anticipated“, based on PET or CSF analysis on 19,097 individuals across the AD spectrum (Click here to read more about this).
• New research finds that colonic LRRK2 expression is increased & associated with disease severity in individuals with Parkinson’s; Biopsies from 51 PD & 40 controls; “PD patients in the prodromal phase had a steeper increase in colonic LRRK2 expression” (Click here to read more about this).

 

• New research presents gender differences in dopaminergic system dysfunction in de novo Parkinson’s; Males & females maintain these differences regardless of the clinical subtypes (Click here to read more about this).
• Results of a cross-sectional study investigating postural instability after more than one-year bilateral subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson’s confirms that the long-term effects of STN DBS on quiet stance balance are multifactorial (Click here to read more about this).
• Simultaneous PET/fMRI revealed increased motor area input to subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinson’s; The metabolic connectivity mapping approach provides further evidence of an exaggerated cortical input to the STN in PD (Click here to read more about this).
• Researchers report second-order mode of functional connectivity in striatum maps onto dopaminergic projections, tracks inter-individual differences in Parkinson’s symptom severity & L-DOPA sensitivity (Click here to read more about this).
• New research suggests “existence of 2 distinct cognitive profiles of Parkinson’s disease, depending on motor symptom asymmetry. This asymmetry is a potential risk factor for non-motor adverse effects following subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation” (Click here to read more about this).
• The Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study (APGS) pilot study results have been published; N=1532; 65% males & 92% of European descent; Previous traumatic brain injury reported by 16% (Click here to read more about this).

• A multicenter longitudinal study to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of Neuromelanin-magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) in early Parkinson’s “highlight the potential to detect preclinical PD & track progression for biomarker-enabled clinical trials” (Click here to read more about this).
• New medrxiv manuscript shows that “unbiased, data-rich exploration of the Parkinson’s phenome has the promise to uncover, prioritize, & clarify associations between environment, multi-system health phenotypes, & PD in a patient-centric manner”; Using Harvard Biomarkers Study, they found males, coronary artery disease, depression, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, head trauma, ibuprofen use, co-enzyme Q10 use, & vitamin D supplementation were significantly positively associated with Parkinson’s; “The inverse association between caffeine & Parkinson’s, did not reach significance in the current analysis”; Also: “In our cohort, naproxen use was negatively associated with PD, whereas ibuprofen use was positively associated with PD” (Click here to read more about this).
• More data on the smell of PD: Researchers present an AI-based analysis of sebum samples from 43 Parkinson’s patients (& 44 controls); Octanal, hexyl acetate, & perillic aldehyde were significantly different groups (Click here to read more about this).

• Researchers present data showing a dramatic decrease in IGF2 mRNA & protein levels in PBMCs & plasma in 43 Parkinson’s patients (vs 41 controls); Associated with downregulation of key components of the initial stages of the autophagy process (Click here to read more about this).
• “Females have a much weaker PD fingerprint than males”; Metabolite & lipoprotein profiling reveals sex-related oxidative stress imbalance in de novo drug-naive Parkinson’s cases; Altered levels of acetone and cholesterol in male PD patients (Click here to read more about this).
• New research uses “neuromelanin sensitive” magnetic resonance imaging to localize structural disintegration in the locus coeruleus & its association with nonmotor dysfunction in Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).
• Using resting-state magnetoencephalographic signals, researchers report individuals with Parkinson’s may exhibit more widely distributed beta–gamma phase-amplitude coupling (across the sensorimotor, occipital, & temporal cortices) compared to controls (Click here to read more about this).
• New short communication identifies specific combinations of mitochondrial DNA variants that are associated with specific nuclear DNA variants & affect Parkinson’s risk; N=2210 PD & 5375 controls (Click here to read more about this).

• A new medrxiv manuscript presents a feasibility study exploring Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes in Parkinson’s (Parkinson ECHO); “Significantly increase participant confidence levels in diagnosing & managing PD” (Click here to read more about this).
• New study finds second-order mode of functional connectivity in striatum maps onto dopaminergic projections, tracks inter-individual differences in Parkinson’s symptom severity & L-DOPA sensitivity, + exhibits strong associations with levels of nicotine & alcohol use (Click here to read more about this).
• A study of 1002 Parkinson’s cases, followed for up to 10 years (median 7.2 years), finds GBA (10.3% of cases) & APOE (29.7%) genotyping could improve the prediction of cognitive decline; No effect for MAPT or SNCA (Click here to read more about this).
• The CONST-PD study protocol has been published: A multicentre, placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study investigating the efficacy & safety of elobixibat (an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor) in Parkinson’s with constipation (Click here to read more about this).
• New biorxiv manuscript analysing ~80K nuclei from 12 individuals with Parkinson’s (vs controls) reports selective abatement of neuron-astrocyte interactions; Oligodendrocytes are decreased in PD brains, while microglia are increased (Click here to read more about this).
• A pilot study (N=16) explores effects of an low carbohydrate/healthy fat/ketogenic diet on biomarkers of health, symptoms, anxiety & depression in Parkinson’s; 12 week intervention; “Significant improvements occurred in several measurements” (Click here to read more about this).

• New study models 3 distinct denervation patterns in the human striatum, proposing a new conceptual framework for the impaired dopaminergic signaling related to Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).
• Pilot analysis of a human brain lipidomics study of the basal ganglia sphingolipidome in Parkinson’s & Lewy Body Disease finds depletion of ceramides & elevation of sulfatides in both groups (Click here to read more about this).
• A new examination of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in Parkinson’s focusing on correlations with motor symptoms finds reduced PACAP levels in PD patients without DBS & increased levels in those with DBS; No correlations between PACAP & MSD-UPDRS (Click here to read more about this).
• A preliminary observational study reports polygenic burden of Parkinson’s risk stratifies the prognosis of isolated rapid-eye-movement disorder; PD-GRS was significantly associated with increased phenoconversion risk & accelerated decline in motor function in iRBD (Click here to read more about this).
• Viral Parkinsonism: An underdiagnosed neurological complication of Dengue virus infections – “more likely to be male & exhibit expressionless face, speech problems, & lymphocytosis…more likely to exhibit tremor, have thrombocytopenia & low hemoglobin” (Click here to read more about this).

• A proof-of-concept pilot study explores local field potential-based programming for deep brain stimulation in conditions like Parkinson’s; helping to “inform & streamline the DBS programming” (Click here to read more about this).
• An unfortunate case study in which a COVID-19 infection presented as severe dyskinesia in a patient with Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).
• The results of a randomized controlled trial indicate “that dysphonia & the speech motor network can be differentially modified by treatment targets, while intensive dosage contributes to long-lasting effects of speech treatments”; N=19 Parkinson’s cases (Click here to read more about this).
• New data “support implementation of whole genome sequencing in clinical laboratories for diagnosis of patients who have a neurological presentation consistent with a repeat expansion disorder” (Click here to read more about this).
• A feasibility pilot study explores goal management training & psychoeducation/mindfulness for treatment of executive dysfunction in Parkinson’s; NCT04636541; Both interventions were feasible & acceptable; Requires larger replication (Click here to read more about this).
• New study explores the utility of breath analysis in the diagnosis & staging of Parkinson’s; N=177 PD & 37 controls; 29 molecules significantly different & may relate to pathogenic pathways (Click here to read more about this).

• Continuing with the oligodendrocyte theme of 2022: Myelin & axonal changes in fibers related to the reward system and visual emotional recognition appear to be more prominent in Parkinson’s with impulse control behaviors (than PD without ICB – click here to read more about this).
• A useful survey of global availability of Parkinson’s treatments finds “significant discrepancies in availability of PD treatments between countries & income groups” (Click here to read more about this).
• New research highlights differences in neuroinflammatory acute phase response proteins in cerebrospinal fluid from Parkinson’s, MSA & other neurodegenerative conditions; Ferritin & transthyretin increase in MSA; Haptoglobin increase in PSP (Click here to read more about this).
• A new medrxiv manuscript suggests that increased DNA methylation age acceleration is significantly associated with younger onset in idiopathic & LRRK2-related Parkinson’s; “Every 5-yr increase in DNAm-age acceleration is linked to about 6-yr earlier onset” (Click here to read more about this).
• Lysosome storage disorders… A new study points towards a possible relationship between Fabry disease & Parkinson’s in a small proportion of cases (Click here to read more about this).
• A nationwide online survey study in Norway explores cannabis use in Parkinson’s; 1 in 20 PwP report cannabis use; Improvement in motor function (69.5%), sleep (52.5%), & pain (37.3%) were the most frequently perceived benefits (Click here to read more about this).

 

New clinical trials

• New clinical trial registered: The effect of gluten-free diet on Parkinsonism (GFREEPARK); Recruiting 90 participants with Parkinson’s or Multiple System Atrophy (MSA); 13 month st udy in Prague (Click here to read more about this).
• New clinical trial registered: “A study to see how BIIB122 works in the human body, & to evaluate it’s safety, & tolerability in healthy adult Japanese, Chinese, & caucasian participants (BIIB122 is the LRRK2 inhibitor DNL151, which is for Parkinson’s (Click here to read more about this).

 

Clinical trial news

• Anavex Life Sciences announced the results of their ANAVEX®2-73 (Blarcamesine) AVATAR Phase 3 clinical trial results met primary & secondary efficacy endpoints for the treatment of adults with Rett Syndrome; Statistically significant & clinically meaningful reductions in Rett syndrome symptoms; Phase III AVATAR study (NCT03941444) was small (N=36); 7-weeks treatment period + 48 weeks open label extension; daily orally liquid doses of up to 30mg ANAVEX®2-73 was well tolerated; Primary (RSBQ AUC; p = 0.037) & secondary (ADAMS; p = 0.010); (CGI-I; p = 0.037) endpoints met (Click here to read more about this).

• Staying mindfully active during COVID-19 – The results of a feasibility study of mHealth-delivered mindfulness yoga program for people with Parkinson’s; A low-cost & convenient alternative to facilitate the continuum of PD care in the community (Click here to read more about this).
• After the FDA placed a clinical hold on the development of their lead agent, Yumanity therapeutics announced that it is going to cut 60% of workforce by April and explore “potential strategic alternatives” (Click here to read more about this).

• Is Curasen Therapeutics reconsidering some of their Parkinson’s research? Their ANZCTR Phase I trial of CST-2032 has been “stopped early” “for business reasons only”; there are “no safety concerns with the program” (Click here to read more about this).
• New study reports the results of a Phase 1, first-in-human study investigating the safety, tolerability, & pharmacokinetics of CVN424 (a GPR6 inverse agonist being developed by Cerevance for Parkinson’s) in healthy volunteers (Click here to read more about this).
• 4D pharma announces FDA clearance of an IND application for their live biotherapeutics – oral, gut-targeted treatments MRx0005 & MRx0029 – for the treatment of Parkinson’s; First-in-human Phase I clinical trial to start mid-2022 (Click here to read more about this).

 

Conferences/lectures

• The Northern Ireland Research Interest Group will be hosting Dr Rob Skelly (Consultant Physician at Royal Derby Hospital) on the Tuesday 29th March at 2 – 3.30pm (UK). He will be discussing his work looking at the effectiveness of remotely delivered physiotherapy in people with Parkinson’s (Click here to learn more).
• On March 15th, the annual AD/PD meeting will begin in Barcelona, Spain (Click here to read more about this). This is one of the largest research conferences dedicated to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions – there should be some interesting news coming from this meeting

Other news

• Actions have consequences – Eli Lilly has deferred its timeline to complete application for accelerated approval of its experimental Alzheimer’s drug donanemab; “very limited expectations for the impact of that accelerated approval commercially” (Click here to read more about this).
• Parkinson’s UK & Domainex have announced a collaboration focused on developing small molecule therapies targeting neuroinflammation, which could slow the progression of Parkinson’s; “The charity plans to invest up to £3m in the project” (Click here to read more about this).
• Interesting discussion with Dr Daniel Ives (CEO of Shift Bioscience) about the biology of ‘shifting’ the aging clock & starting a biotech from scratch:

 

Review articles/videos

And there it is, just some of the highlights from February 2022 – another very busy month of Parkinson’s research. Hopefully there will be bits and pieces of interest for everyone in the list. Much of the material used here was collected from the Science of Parkinson’s Twitter feed (and there is a lot more posted there each day).

Any thoughts/feedback would be greatly appreciated (either in the comments below, or contact me directly).

And now: on to March!!!

All of the material on this website is licensed under a
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You can do whatever you like with it!

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The author of this post is an employee of Cure Parkinson’s, so he might be a little bit biased in his views on research and clinical trials supported by the trust. That said, the trust has not requested the production of this post, and the author is sharing it simply because it may be of interest to the Parkinson’s community.

The information provided by the SoPD website is for information and educational purposes only. Under no circumstances should it ever be considered medical or actionable advice. It is provided by research scientists, not medical practitioners. Any actions taken – based on what has been read on the website – are the sole responsibility of the reader. Any actions being contemplated by readers should firstly be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional who is aware of your medical history. While some of the information discussed in this post may cause concern, please speak with your medical physician before attempting any change in an existing treatment regime.

In addition, many of the companies mentioned in this post are publicly traded companies. That said, the material presented on this page should under no circumstances be considered financial advice. Any actions taken by the reader based on reading this material is the sole responsibility of the reader. None of the companies have requested that this material be produced, nor has the author had any contact with any of the companies or associated parties. This post has been produced for educational purposes only.

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