Category: Uncategorized

DOPA de-car-box-yl-ase

~ Simon ~ 6 Comments

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Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative condition that is diagnosed and monitored based on clinical observations and scoring systems – both of which are not perfect and subjective.

Biomarkers (a biological molecule found in bodily fluids or tissues that is an indicator of a normal or abnormal processes) represent an important development for medicine as they provide assurance and quantitative measures of disease, aiding the diagnostic and treatment process.

Recently there has been a lot of new research highlighting possible biomarkers for Parkinson’s, including proteins associated with the synthesis of dopamine (a chemical which is severely reduced in the brains of people with Parkinson’s).

In today’s post, we will discuss what a biomarker is and review some new research on a potential biomarker for ‘Lewy body disease’.

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The search for biomarkers. Source: NIH

2023 is quickly becoming the year of potential biomarkers for Parkinson’s. There has been a lot of new research in this space.

For example, earlier this year, the Michael J Fox Foundation and collaborators reported new data regarding the alpha synuclein seeding assay (Click here to read a previous SoPD post on this topic).

Tests that can clearly define and track medical conditions over time are critical to developing better treatments and would certainly be invaluable in Parkinson’s research.

And this week we saw researchers publish further data, highlighting another potential biomarker.

What did they report?

Continue reading “DOPA de-car-box-yl-ase” →

Monthly Research Review – August 2023

~ Simon ~ 2 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 August 2023.

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

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So, what happened during August 2023?

In world news:

August 1- The world’s oceans reached a new record high temperature of 20.96 °C, exceeding the previous record in 2016.

 

August 8th – Christopher Lunsford (artist name: Oliver Anthony) released the single “Rich Men North of Richmond” independently, and it debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after going viral on YouTube:

 

August 14th – Researchers reported the first ever image of quantum entanglement (Click here and here to read more about this).

 

August 19th – As 1/4 of people going to the beach in the United Kingdom are avoiding swimming due to raw sewage releases, the UK Environment Agency (whose funding has been cut by 50% over the last 10 years – source) announced that nationwide annual health check of England’s water bodies which used to take place annually, will now take six years to complete (Click here to read more about this).

 

August 23rd – India’s Chandrayaan-3 becomes the first spacecraft to land near the south pole of the Moon, carrying a lunar lander named Vikram and a lunar rover named Pragyan.

 

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

In August 2023, there were 831 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (7,379 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 8 pieces of Parkinson’s news

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review – August 2023” →

Manifesting non-manifesting carriers

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The discovery of genetic risk factors for Parkinson’s has been very useful for the research community as they point towards associated biological pathways that could potentially be targeted for therapeutic intervention.

They also represent a topic of concern for the Parkinson’s community, who worry about passing on possible risk to their children and subsequent generations. The penetrance (which refers to the proportion of people with a particular genetic variant who ever actually exhibit signs and symptoms of a particular condition) of many of these risk factors has, however, been found to be mixed, which has helped to confuse the matter. 

Recently, researchers have been exploring assays and biomarkers related to some of these genetic risk factors to see if we can determine who is likely to go on and develop Parkinson’s compared to “non-manifesting carriers” of the genetic risk factors. 

In today’s post, we will discuss what is meant by terms like “penetrance” and “non-manifesting carriers”, and we will review some of the latest research in this area.

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Source: Businesstoday

This year represents the 25th anniversary since the discovery that tiny variations in a region of DNA called the “PARKIN gene” may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s.

On the 9th April, 1998, this report was published in the journal Nature:

Title: Mutations in the parkin gene cause autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism.
Authors: Kitada T, Asakawa S, Hattori N, Matsumine H, Yamamura Y, Minoshima S, Yokochi M, Mizuno Y, Shimizu N
Journal: Nature. 1998 Apr 9; 392(6676):605-8
PMID: 9560156

This study highlighted 5 cases of ‘juvenile’ Parkinsonism from three unrelated Japanese families, in which genetic variations were found in the PARKIN gene. This finding came less than a year after the first genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s – in the alpha synuclein gene – had been announced (Click here to read a SoPD post about this).

It was an exciting time for Parkinson’s research as these new risk factors were pointing towards particular biological pathways that could be explored in the context of Parkinson’s (and manipulated for potentially therapeutic purposes).

Over the next 10-15 years, there was a genetic gold rush as researchers identified over 80 regions of DNA in which genetic variations (tiny alterations in the G,A,T & C coding) that increased one’s risk of developing PD (Click here to read a SoPD post on this topic).

But rather than being a genetic disease (a condition driven by a specific genetic cause), it quickly became apparent that the level of penetrance in Parkinson’s was not 100%, and questions started to be asked as to why.

What do you mean by “penetrance”?

Continue reading “Manifesting non-manifesting carriers” →

Monthly Research Review-July 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 July 2023.

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

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So, what happened during July 2023?

In world news:

July 4th – Toyota announced the development of a new type of solid-state battery for electric vehicles that will allow them to travel 1200km (745 miles) and charges within 10 minutes (Click here to read more about this).

 

July 14th – The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced it will begin an ongoing strike against the major film and TV studios in protest of low compensation, the lack of ownership of their work, and the threat of generative AI on their jobs.

 

July 20th – The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup started in Australia and New Zealand.

 

July 19th – Astronomers report the discovery of a bizarre ‘two-faced’ star, with one side made up of hydrogen and the other consisting of helium. The object, designated ZTF J203349.8+322901.1 (nicknamed “Janus”), is a white dwarf located about 1,000 light years away (Click here to read more about this).

 

July 23rd – Below is an image of the interior ceiling of the cathedral in Odesa (Ukraine) before Russian bombs struck it on this date… high tech, strategic targeting indeed (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 July 2023, there were 1,024 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (6,548 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 6 pieces of Parkinson’s news

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review-July 2023” →

Monthly Research Review – June 2023

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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 June 2023.

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

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So, what happened during June 2023?

In world news:

June 5th – One of the largest programs in NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope‘s first year of operation is the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), which is devote to uncovering and characterizing faint, distant galaxies. The project has announced the discovery of hundreds of galaxies that existed when the universe was less than 600 million years old (Click here to read more about this).

 

June 12th – Former staffer of Boris Johnson, Charlotte Owen was made Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge, of Alderley Edge in the County of Cheshire. Her appointment, at age 30, made her the youngest member of the House of Lords and the youngest person ever to receive a life peerage (the unelected role is not salaried, but members can opt to receive a £332 per day attendance allowance, plus travel expenses and subsidised restaurant facilities):

 

June 14th – Scientists have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, in a advance that sidesteps the need for eggs or sperm – more “look-what-I-can-do” rather than “groundbreaking”. Certainly outpacing laws… maybe Charlotte can help (Click here to read more about this).

 

June 19th – The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopts the High Seas Treaty, the first treaty aimed towards marine conservation in international waters:

 

June 23rd – The ignominious Russian invasion of Ukraine became farcical when the Wagner Group (led by Yevgeny Prigozhin) began an armed conflict with the Russian military, seizing the city of Rostov-on-Don and portions of the Voronezh Oblast before withdrawing the next day, after a peace agreement brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

 

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

In June 2023, there were 1,012 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (5,524 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 – June 2023” →

The UP Study results

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Preclinical data have suggested that the bile acid Ursodeoxycholic acid (or UDCA) has neuroprotective properties in models of Parkinson’s.

Researchers in Sheffield have led much of this research and they have also been coordinating a clinical trial assessing this molecule in people with Parkinson’s.

The study was called the “UDCA in Parkinson’s” trial (or UP Study) and the results were recently published.

In today’s post, we will explore the history of UDCA research, review the results of the UP study, and discuss what could happen next.

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Prof Heather Mortiboys. Source: Dementiaresearcher

Every good lab bench-to-clinical trial story starts somewhere.

There is an initiating moment, which is probably irrelevant to most of the people present at the time, but it becomes life-defining for others. In the case of today’s post, that moment occurred while Prof Heather Mortiboys was was sitting in a lecture during the last year of her undergraduate degree in University.

The lecturer said that although our knowledge and understanding of what happens in Parkinson’s has increased significantly, there are still no treatments to prevent or slow the condition.

Heather couldn’t understand this.

She wondered how much more knowledge could be gained without actually identifying new treatments? And from that moment onwards she has pursued a research career in Parkinson’s research (and we are lucky for it!).

After receiving her PhD in Neuroscience (summa cum laude) from the International Max Planck Institute in Dresden (Germany), she moved to the Neuroscience department at the University of Sheffield in 2006 to work with Prof Oliver Bandmann.

Prof Oliver Bandmann. Source: Sheffield

And in 2013, they published the results of a large screening study that identified a very interesting molecule.

This was the research report in question:

brain

Title: Ursocholanic acid rescues mitochondrial function in common forms of familial Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Mortiboys H, Aasly J, Bandmann O.
Journal: Brain. 2013 Oct;136(Pt 10):3038-50.
PMID: 24000005

What was the interesting molecule?

Continue reading “The UP Study results” →

Monthly Research Review – May 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 May 2023.

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

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So, what happened during May 2023?

In world news:

May 1st – San Francisco-based First Republic Bank failed and was auctioned off by the US FDIC to JPMorgan Chase for $10.7 billion. The collapse surpassed March’s failure of Silicon Valley Bank to become the second largest in US history.

 

May 3rd – Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly reports that the beta amyloid targeting antibody treatment donanemab can slow the pace of Alzheimer’s by 35%, following a Phase 3 study in human patients (Click here to read more about this).

May 6th – The coronation of Charles III as King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place in Westminster Abbey, London (sorry, but the video below appeals to the republican in me).

 

May 11th – The discovery of 62 new moons of Saturn was reported, taking its total confirmed number to 145 and overtaking Jupiter (Click here to read more about this).

 

May 25th – Artificial intelligence was reported to have designed a new antibiotic, effective against Acinetobacter baumannii, a species of bacteria that is often found in hospitals and can lead to pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infections (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 May 2023, there were 872 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (4,512 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 5 pieces of Parkinson’s news

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review – May 2023” →

The seeds of change

~ Simon ~ 6 Comments

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The diagnostic process for Parkinson’s has been problematic for a long time. Individuals presenting the symptoms often need several clinical evaluations, and confirmation using a brain imaging technique.

A biological test for the condition has been lacking and would help tremendously.

Recently, however, research (supported by the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research) has indicated that this could be about to change.

In today’s post, we will explore recently published research highlighting a new potential biomarker test for Parkinson’s.

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On the 27th June, 1997, a research report was published in the prestigious scientific journal ‘Science’ that would change the world of Parkinson’s forever.

And I am not exaggerating or overstating here. I know I can sometimes be a little over the top, but the research report in question very much changed the world of Parkinson’s research.

The discovery that tiny variations in a region of DNA that scientists refer to as “alpha synuclein” could increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s gave researchers their first real insights into some of the biology that could potentially be underlying the condition (Click here to read a previous SoPD post on this discovery):

Science

Title: Mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene identified in families with Parkinson’s disease.
Authors: Polymeropoulos MH, Lavedan C, Leroy E, Ide SE, Dehejia A, Dutra A, Pike B, Root H, Rubenstein J, Boyer R, Stenroos ES, Chandrasekharappa S, Athanassiadou A, Papapetropoulos T, Johnson WG, Lazzarini AM, Duvoisin RC, Di Iorio G, Golbe LI, Nussbaum RL.
Journal: Science. 1997 Jun 27;276(5321):2045-7.
PMID: 9197268

And then – remarkably just two months later – the results of another study were published in the journal ‘Nature’, and these would further cemented alpha synuclein’s place in Parkinson’s research.

In this second research paper, the investigators showed that alpha synuclein was present in “Lewy bodies” – densely packed spheres of protein inside of cells that are one of the characteristic features of the Parkinsonian brain:

Title: Alpha-synuclein in Lewy bodies.
Authors: Spillantini MG, Schmidt ML, Lee VM, Trojanowski JQ, Jakes R, Goedert M.
Journal: Nature. 1997 Aug 28;388(6645):839-40.
PMID: 9278044

And very suddenly, this poor little protein became public ‘enemy number one’ for the Parkinson’s research community and everyone started digging into the biology associated with it with the hope of finding new avenues for therapeutic intervention and biomarkers for Parkinson’s.

What exactly is alpha synuclein?

Continue reading “The seeds of change” →

A preamble for prebiotics

~ Simon ~ 8 Comments

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For a long time it has been known that the microorganisms in our intestinal system play an important role in our overall health and wellbeing. 

Recently, researchers have been exploring how these tiny creatures and entities may be influencing Parkinson’s, and whether manipulation of them may impact the progression of the disease.

In today’s post, we will review a new pilot clinical study that investigated the effects of a prebiotic fiber intervention in a group of people with Parkinson’s.

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Adam and Eve were not alone. Source: Metode

You should never feel alone, because you most definitely are not.

I do not wish to alarm you, but there is approximately 2kg (4.4 pounds) of microorganisms in your gut.

And to put that into context, the “microbiota” of the gut is actually heavier by weight than your brain (1.5kg – 3.3 pounds).

What does “the microbiota” mean?

The microbiota refers to microorganisms that colonise various defined parts of the body (such as our skin or gastrointestinal tract). The human microbiota consists of the 10-100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells harbored by each person. By mass, the microbiota of the human body make up about 1 to 3 percent of our overall weight (weighing approximately two to three kilograms in an adult – Source). Collectively, it is one of our heaviest organs.

And whether you like it or not, you definitely need these little passengers. They serve a wide variety of necessary functions.

Source: The conversation

The microorganisms in the human gut, for example, perform all manner of tasks for you to make your life easier. From helping to break down food, to aiding with the production of certain vitamins (in particular B and K) that you do not make yourself.

So, as I said, you are never alone. And please remember that you are responsible for more than just yourself.

And the microbiota should not be confused with the microbiome, which refers to the collection of different genomes (DNA) from all the microorganisms in these microbiota.

Source: Twitter

Ok, understood. What do they have do with Parkinson’s?

Continue reading “A preamble for prebiotics” →

Monthly Research Review – April 2023

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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 April 2023.

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

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So, what happened during April 2023?

In world news:

April 4th – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases the third and final part of its Sixth Assessment Report on climate change, warning that greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030, in order to limit global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F – click here to read more about this).

 

April 13th – COVID-19 pandemic: The number of confirmed cases exceeds 500 million worldwide.

 

April 15th – Nuclear power in Germany ends after 50 years, with the closure of the final power plants.

 

April 20 – SpaceX’s Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, is launched during a flight test from a base in Boca Chica, Texas. It explodes four minutes after launch:

 

April 26th – The Bank of England’s top economist Huw Pill (who earns  £180,000 per year, compared to a UK average of £35,000) told a podcast in the US that there was a “reluctance to accept that, yes, we’re all worse off and we all have to take our share” (I should apply for a job at the BoE if this is the kind of wisdom and leadership that is required – 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 April 2023, there were 887 research articles added to the Pubmed website with the tag word “Parkinson’s” attached (3640 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 5 pieces of Parkinson’s news

Continue reading “Monthly Research Review – April 2023” →