Author: Simon

I am the Director of Research at Cure Parkinson's. Before that I was working as a Parkinson's research scientist at the University of Cambridge where I conducted both clinical- and lab-based research on Parkinson's. I have worked in the Parkinson's research field for over 15 years - both academically and in biotech ventures. All of my views/opinions expressed here are solely my own, and may not reflect the views of my employer or associated parties.

Monthly Research Review – February 2023

~ Simon ~ 1 Comment

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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 2023.

The post is divided into 10 parts based on the type of research:

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So, what happened during February 2023?

In world news:

February 2nd – The European Central Bank and Bank of England raise their interest rates by 0.5 percentage points to combat inflation, one day after the US Federal Reserve raised its federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points.

 

February 5th – Cyclone Freddy formed in the Indian Ocean. It would become the longest lasting tropical cyclone in history and cause over 1,400 deaths and countless injuries and property damage across southeastern Africa (Click here to read more about this).

 

February 14 – The European Parliament approves a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in the European Union from 2035, citing the need to combat climate change in Europe and promote electric vehicles.

 

February 16th – Blockbuster action movie star Bruce Willis announced that he has received a new diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (Click here to read more about this)

 

February 25th – A rare supermassive black hole – 1 billion times the mass of our sun – was discovered at the center of the galaxy COS-87259. This ancient galaxy formed just 750 million years after the Big Bang, and the black hole was spotted by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile (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 2023, there were 853 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (1850 for all of 2023 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 4 pieces of Parkinson’s news

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review – February 2023” →

Monthly Research Review-January 2023

~ Simon ~ Leave a comment

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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 January 2023.

The post is divided into 10 parts based on the type of research:

# # # #

So, what happened during January 2023?

In world news:

January 1st – Croatia adopts the euro and joins the Schengen Area, becoming the 20th member state of the Eurozone and the 27th member of the Schengen Area.

 

January 10th – Researchers reported the discovery of a second potentially Earth-like planet in the TOI 700 system is reported using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS – click here to read more about this).

 

January 12th – Two groups of researchers present data in mice demonstrating the manipulation of the aging process (Click here to read more about this).

 

13 January – A study of ancient DNA supports or confirms that recent human evolution which led to increased resistance to infection of pathogens also resulted in increased risk of inflammatory disease in post-Neolithic Europeans over the last 10,000 years (Click here to read more about this and click here to read a press summary).

 

January 27th – This day was declared the wettest day on record for Auckland (New Zealand) with 258 mm (10.2 in) of rain exceeding the previous record of 161.8 mm (6.37 in). A “tropical atmospheric river” parked itself over the city and caused widespread catastrophic flooding:

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

In January 2023, there were 997 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached. 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

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review-January 2023” →

Being ABL to make a strong case for Inhibikase

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At the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in October 2015, the results of a small phase 1 clinical study were presented and the Parkinson’s community got rather excited by what they saw.

The study had investigated a cancer drug called ‘nilotinib’ (also known as Tasigna) on 12 people with advanced Parkinson’s or Dementia with Lewy bodies. After 6 months of treatment, the participants reported that they were functioning better on nilotinib.

Two larger, more carefully controlled phase 2 clinical trials of nilotinib in people with Parkinson’s were conducted, and both studies could not replicate the original findings (worse: the drug was barely detected in the brain). But now a biotech company called Inhibikase has developed a nilotinib-like agent that can access the brain and they are clinically testing it. This week they published preclinical data on their lead agent, IkT-148009.

In today’s post, we will look at the history of this story, review the recently published preclinical research from Inhibikase, and discuss the current clinical trial.

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Source: Wiki

Cancer.

There’s a happy topic to start a post with.

Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body start to grow and reproduce uncontrollably. There are lots of different types of cancers, but I would like to draw your attention to one in particular: Leukemia 

Leukemia is a particular branch of cancer. It is a broad term used for cancers of the body’s blood-forming tissues (these include the bone marrow and the lymphatic system).

The type of leukemia diagnosed depends entirely on the type of blood cell that becomes cancerous and on whether it grows quickly or slowly. Leukemia occurs most often in adults older than 55, but it is also the most common cancer in children younger than 15.

There are approximately 10,000 new cases of leukemia (that’s 27 every day), and ~5000 deaths associated with the condition in the UK (Click here for the source of these figures).

Interesting, but why are you starting this post by talking about leukemia? 

Continue reading “Being ABL to make a strong case for Inhibikase” →

The “What would I do” post? Part 3

~ Simon ~ 1 Comment

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Given the broad range of topics covered on the SoPD, I am very regularly asked “what would you do if you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s tomorrow?”

As a research scientist I am not comfortable answering this question, but I can see how it is a fair one to ask. I have previously attempted to address it (Click here and here to read those posts), and I point folks who do ask in the direction of those posts.

And as new research and more tools become available, I can see some value in revisiting this question.

So in today’s post, we will do the 2023 version of “what would I do if I were diagnosed with Parkinson’s tomorrow?”. 

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Source: BBC

Before starting, I would just like to thank readers for their kind words of support regarding my personal situation (see this previous post to understand what I am talking about).

My ward is now in full time care. But the guardianship order is still not in place which makes things rather problematic.

Source: EducationLawyers

The UK deputyship system seems to have become glacial in its process. I was advised that it would take 4-6 months, but we are now almost 12 months into the wait… and the care home bills are piling up very quickly. The resources to pay the bills are available, but without the deputyship being in place I am powerless to do anything about it.

Very frustrating. And certainly preventable.

And this is probably a good place to start this particular post.

What do you mean?

Continue reading “The “What would I do” post? Part 3” →

Year in review: 2022

~ Simon ~ 3 Comments

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At the end of each year, it is a useful process to take stock and review what we have learnt over the last 12 months.

2022 has been an extremely busy year for Parkinson’s research, with a lot of clinical trial results and new insights. As the world continues to re-open from the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a continually rising tide of new research results and interesting new developments.

In today’s post, we will consider three big Parkinson’s-related research takeaways of 2022 (based on our humble opinions here at the SoPD), and then we will provide an extended overview of some of the important pieces of news from the last 12 months (Be warned: this will be a rather long post).

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Knatchbull-Hugesse. Source: Getty

Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, the British Ambassador to China between 1936-1937 wrote in his memoir that before he left England for China, a friend told him of a Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times” (Source).

I never really understood why this quote was considered “a curse”. Surely living in boring times would be more tortuous.

But the noise and chaos of recent years have really hammered home the nature of this curse. There were many days this year where I was wishing for less interesting times.

2022. Source: Wikipedia

That said, 2022 has been a fascinating experience. The full spectrum of human emotions has been elicited: From the highs of the football world cup to the horrors and catastrophic consequences of Russia’s ignominious invasion of Ukraine.

From the glorious achievements (such as the James Webb space telescope and a net energy gain from a fusion reaction), to the unfathomable idiocies of the UK and US political class (seriously, in the UK we had 3 prime ministers, 4 chancellors, and one gut wrenching “mini budget” disaster that showed the true fragility of our underfunded pension schemes) – 2022 had it all.

There were also an amazing array of new discoveries and insights in Parkinson’s research. And while such a statement may not bring much solace to those living with condition, it is tremendously encouraging to see the furious rate at which these findings are announced.

In this, the last SoPD post of 2022, we will look back and review the last 12 months by providing an overview of those pieces of research news that we here at SoPD HQ thought were most interesting. We apologise to any researchers who do not get a mention here (by all means feel free to berate us in the comments section below if you think we missed something key), but these were the announcements that really grabbed our attention.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The author of this blog is the director of research at the medical research charity Cure Parkinson’s. For the purpose of transparency and to eliminate any sense of bias, where Cure Parkinson’s is a funder of the research it shall be noted.

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The 3 main SOPD highlights in Parkinson’s-related research for 2022

(in no particular order)

Continue reading “Year in review: 2022” →

Monthly Research Review – December 2022

~ Simon ~ 9 Comments

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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 December 2022.

The post is divided into 10 parts based on the type of research:

# # # #

So, what happened during December 2022?

In world news:

December 5th – The US National Ignition Facility achieved fusion ignition, a major milestone in the development of nuclear fusion power

 

December 7th – After substantial protests against China’s Zero-COVID policies, the Chinese government finally eased its COVID19 restrictions.

 

December 15th – Astronomers find that a pair of exoplanets orbiting the red dwarf star Kepler-138 are likely to be water worlds.

 

December 19th – At the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), nearly 200 countries agree a “new” landmark deal to protect a third of the planet for nature by 2030 (more blah-blah as Greta would say)

December 19th – A new world record solar cell efficiency for a silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell was achieved, with scientists in Germany converting 32.5% of sunlight into electrical energy.

 

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

In December 2022, there were 964 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (10749 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

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review – December 2022” →

Getting serious about saunas

~ Simon ~ 4 Comments

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In 2017, researchers reported that regular episodes in a sauna can dramatically reduce one’s risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Recently, a member of the Parkinson’s community shared another feature of “sauna life” that helps them: they sleep better after a short sauna session right before bed.

In today’s post, we will discuss some of the research associated with the use of saunas.

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Source: Twitter

Fun fact: Finland has over 3 million saunas.

It is a rather impressive number considering that there is only 5.5 million people in the country. So important to the Finnish culture is the humble sauna that Unesco recently registered the sauna on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

You will find a sauna at every public swimming pool, most hotels, private residence, and summer homes by the lake or the sea in Finland.

They are everywhere.

Source: Finland.fi

Just as the sport of rugby is central to everything in New Zealand (seriously, it’s like a religion), sauna life is an important corner stone of Finnish society. They love it.

Does this actually have anything to do with Parkinson’s?

Continue reading “Getting serious about saunas” →

At last: Selnoflast

~ Simon ~ 11 Comments

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One of the most common questions I get from SoPD readers is what’s new with inflammasome research? Another version of this question is where are the clinical trials for NLRP3 inhibitors in Parkinson’s?

Readers have become very enchanted by this new class of anti-inflammatory drugs as a potential future treatment for Parkinson’s – and there is preclinical evidence to support this vibe. But the  clinical development of these experimental therapies has been slow. 

Recently, the pharmaceutical company Roche has initiated Phase 1b testing of their NLRP3 inhibitor (called Selnoflast) in people with Parkinson’s – the first in this class. 

In today’s post, we will discuss what the inflammasome is, how NLRP3 inhibitors work, and what the new clinical trial involves.

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On the 21st September 2020, the website for an Ireland-based biotech company called Inflazome suddenly disappeared. In its place was a single page, that stated the large pharmaceutical company Roche had purchased the biotech firm and taken on all of its inflammasome-targeting intellectual property (Source).

This was a big deal for folks who were watching the inflammasome research world. It suggested that the big players (pharma) were now interested in this space ($449 million interested in the case of Inflazome). And since then, there has been a rush of other pharma companies buying or developing inflammasome-targeting agents.

The Inflazome purchase was also interesting because the company was targeting Parkinson’s as one of their indications of interest.

And it would appear that Roche is now following up on this interest, having initiated a clinical trial program focused on inflammasomes in Parkinson’s.

Hang on a second. Remind me, what are inflammasomes?

Continue reading “At last: Selnoflast” →

Would the real James Parkinson please stand up

~ Simon ~ 3 Comments

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In today’s post, we will discuss a common mistake that is made in presentations about Parkinson’s disease. 

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I was recently listening to a public lecture on the topic of Parkinson’s, and the presenter (who shall remain nameless) started with a slide that showed this image:

And they began with the grand proclamation that “this is Dr James Parkinson, after whom the condition of Parkinson’s disease is named“.

As they said these words, my blood boiled.

Why?!?

There were two things terribly wrong with their statement.

  1. James was not a doctor – In the 18/19th centuries, “doctors” in England had to undergo formal university training to gain possession of a degree in medicine before they could begin to practice medicine. James never went to university, and thus, he was not a “doctor”. Rather, James was an apothecary – like his father – which is a medical professional who formulated and dispensed remedies. Today he would be called a ‘pharmacist’ or ‘chemist’. But back in the 17/1800s, apothecary prepared and administered medicines.

Ok. And what was number 2?

2. The image is not James Parkinson of Parkinson’s disease fame.

Oh, I see. Who is it then?

It is a James Parkinson. But it’s not our James Parkinson.

Huh?

Continue reading “Would the real James Parkinson please stand up” →

Can shaking hands fix shaking hands?

~ Simon ~ 5 Comments

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Novel treatments for Parkinson’s are being proposed on a regular basis, and I really like the way many are based on some pretty left field ideas (light buckets, I’m thinking of you here). Thinking outside the box is important to innovation and progress.

And some of those unconventional approaches are backed not only by historical precedent, but also scientific research. 

Recently, researchers at Stanford University have presented just such an idea: It involves vibrating gloves. 

In today’s post, we will explore what research has been conducted on vibrating hands in Parkinson’s, and discuss what comes next.

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Jean-Martin Charcot. Source: Wikipedia

There are few figures in the history of neurology as revered as Jean-Martin Charcot.

Widely considered the ‘Father of neurology’ and the ‘Napoleon of the neuroses‘, the importance of Charcot’s contribution to modern medicine is definitely not up for debate. One only needs to read the names of the students that he taught at the Salpêtrière Hospital (in Paris) to appreciate that everyone who became someone in the field of neurology passed through his classes.

Those names include Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis), Joseph Babinski, Pierre Janet, Pierre Marie, Albert Londe, Charles-Joseph Bouchard, Georges Gilles de la Tourette (he of Tourette syndrome), Alfred Binet (inventor of the first intelligence test), and Albert Pitres.

The mere fact that these students of Charcot all have Wikipedia pages should speak volumes to his impact on the field. Heck, even the great William James – one of the founding fathers of Psychology – travelled all the way from America just to sit in on Charcot’s classes.

Charcot was one of the most sought-after instructors in all of Europe, and he is immortalised in a painting by André Brouillet:

Une_leçon_clinique_à_la_Salpêtrière

“Une leçon clinique à la Salpêtrière“ by André Brouillet (Source: Wikipedia)

Cool. But what does monsieur Charcot have to do with Parkinson’s?

Continue reading “Can shaking hands fix shaking hands?” →