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# # # # A Parkinson’s-focused biotech company called Enterin has had a very busy start to the new year, with publication of some interesting preclinical research and the announcement of Phase II clinical trial results. The clinical trial results met both the primary and secondary endpoints (the pre-determined measures of whether the treatment is effective) indicating a successful study, and the preclinical result provides new potential insights into the functions of the Parkinson’s-associated protein, alpha synuclein. In today’s post, we will discuss both the clinical trial results and the preclinical work, and consider what this means for our understanding of Parkinson’s. # # # # |
Source: Discovery
In scientific nomenclature, they are referred to as Squalus acanthias.
Many people call them ‘Spurdogs’. Or ‘Mud sharks’. Or even ‘Piked dogfish’.
But they are more commonly known as spiny dogfish.
Source: X-ray Mag
Fun facts about spiny dogfish:
- They live in the shallow saltwater habitats of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans
- The females are longer (49 inches or 124 cm) than the males (39 inches or 99 cm)
- They have two dorsal fins, both with venomous spines (hence the name)
- A pregnant females will have an average litter of 6 pups
- They have very long gestation periods – up to 24 months!
- The average lifespan ranges between 20 and 24 years
- Spiny dogfish are very fast swimmers – able to swim at about 6.2 feet/s (1.9 m/s)
- They have a special organ called the ‘Ampullae of Lorenzini‘ which they use to detect the electric field generated by their prey.
- They have a very keen sense of smell and two-thirds of their brain is involved in their sense of smell.
Oh, and they are extremely robust when it comes to infection.
Seriously, they never get sick, which is fascinating given that they have a relatively “primitive” immune system (Click here to read more on this).
Very interesting. But what does any of this have to do with Parkinson’s?
The Science of Parkinson's 