Thursday, March 21, 2024

Parkinson's drug reduces disease markers in breakthrough trial

A novel therapy designed to clear alpha-synuclein has shown promise in early clinical trials. Produced by the US biotechnology company Vaxxinity, the immunotherapy candidate codenamed UB-312 is the first treatment shown to be capable of reducing concentrations of the toxic protein in cerebrospinal fluid, marking a significant step forward in slowing – or even halting – the progress of Parkinson's disease.

“What we see from our UB-312 program is the potential to change the whole conversation around Parkinson's treatment and prevention,” says Vaxxinity's co-founder and executive chair Lou Reese. “Our findings suggest UB-312 could transform Parkinson's care, offering hope for improved outcomes with a disease-modifying treatment.” Click here to learn more.

Biologists discover propionate supplementation as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease

A research team from the University of Hong Kong has discovered that propionate, a short-chain fatty acid, strongly suppressed neurodegeneration in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) by regulating interorgan signaling between the intestine and brain. Such metabolic rescue of neurodegeneration provides new insights into the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. 

In the study, the research team found that PD animals have lower levels of propionate than normal animals, and increasing the propionate level by either removing dietary vitamin B12 (which induces propionate breakdown) or through direct supplementation of propionate rescues alpha-syn-induced neuronal death and locomotion defects. Click here to learn more.

Greening the fight against Huntington’s disease

While plants and humans are different in many ways, they share some commonalities. Plants express hundreds of proteins containing polyglutamine (polyQ) regions. Humans express similar proteins, but their buildup causes neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s disease. Understanding plants' survival holds therapeutic promise for protein aggregation related diseases, according to Ernesto Llamas, a molecular biologist at the University of Cologne. 

Llamas and his team sought to identify the mechanism that renders plants immune to toxic protein aggregation. In a paper published in Nature Aging, Llamas describes a chloroplast protein that shields plants from the harmful effects of polyQ proteins, hinting at the use of chloroplast proteins as unconventional future therapies for polyQ diseases. Click here to learn more.

New study reveals key differences in Parkinson’s disease progression using real-world data

In a recent study published in npj Parkinson’s disease, researchers evaluated the differences in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) between real-world and research populations, illustrating differences and directional biases between them. Research populations were diagnosed and started on levodopa and other medicines much earlier, with slower changes in clinical scales.

By contrast, PD diagnosis and treatment initiation were much later in real-world populations; they also had accelerated changes in clinical scales. Overall, the findings offer detailed insights into PD progression in different populations. Click here to learn more.

Can melatonin and other vitamins help with restless leg syndrome?

Can vitamins and supplements help restless leg syndrome? Sleep medicine doctors suggest patients ought to tread carefully when it comes to these OTC fixes. “There’s a lot of support for iron — and very little support for anything else,” says J. Andrew Berkowski, MD, a neurologist in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the founder of ReLACS Health, a direct specialty care sleep clinic.

“They can be useful in mild restless legs syndrome cases, but when you’re dealing with moderate or severe restless legs, they’re going to be less likely to be helpful,” adds Brian Koo, MD, a neurologist and the director of the Yale Medicine Program for Restless Legs Syndrome. Click here to learn more.