New Advances In Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Updates On Currently Approved Pd Treatments

Table 1 Approved dopaminergic drugs

Later, DA receptor agonists, such as those shown in Table , were developed either as monotherapies or combination therapies with L-DOPA for the treatment of PD. Five types of DA receptors, D1D5, exist in the brain. The D1 and D5 receptors are grouped together as D1-like receptors based on their stimulatory effects on adenylyl cyclase , and the D2, D3, and D4 receptors are classified as D2-like receptors due to their inhibition of cAMP activity. Many synthetic DA agonists, including pramipexole and apomorphine, activate D2-like receptors, and have a lower incidence of motor fluctuations and dyskinesia .

What We Know So Far

• We’ve uncovered clues to the causes and genetic involvement in Parkinson’s.
• We’re figuring out the chain of events that leads to the damage and loss of brain cells.
• We’re working to advance new treatments and therapies.
• We’re exploring repurposing drugs to help manage some of the more distressing symptoms, like hallucinations and falls.
• And we know that, although people with Parkinson’s share symptoms, each person’s experience of the condition and response to treatment is different.

Now, the science is ready for us to develop the new treatments and cure that people with Parkinson’s so desperately need.

Research takes time. But we launched the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech to speed up the most promising potential treatments. The more we can invest, the sooner we’ll get there.

New Developments In Symptomatic Therapy Of Non

In summary, these compounds and techniques allow fine tuning of the available symptomatic therapy of motor and in part of NMSs in PD. However, they do not represent a major innovation. A true, highly needed innovation would be a compound with disease-modifying properties in order to slow down, if not stop, the progressive pathophysiology of PD .

You May Like: What Causes Pain In Parkinson’s Patients

Hallucinations In Parkinsons Disease: New Insights Into Mechanisms And Treatments

Posted in Clinical Review Article on 13th Jul 2020

Rimona Weil, MBBS, PhD is a Wellcome Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Her main clinical and research interests are in clinical and neuroimaging predictors of Parkinsons disease and in visual hallucinations in Parkinsons disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. She runs specialist clinics for patients with Parkinsons dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies and is a collaborator on the Parkinsons UK-funded Trial of Ondansetron as a Parkinsons HAllucinations Treatment: TOP HAT

Suzanne Reeves, MBBS, MRCP , MRCPsych, PhD is Professor of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology , Academic MBBS Mental Lead, and an Honorary Consultant in Care Home Liaison . Her main clinical and research interests are to optimise the treatment of delusions and hallucinations in older people, with a primary focus on Alzheimers disease and the Parkinsons disease spectrum. She is the Chief Investigator of the Parkinsons UK-funded Trial of Ondansetron as a Parkinsons HAllucinations Treatment: TOP HAT

Correspondence to: Dr Rimona S Weil, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, 8-11 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG.PMID: PMC7116251

Progress In The Treatment Of Parkinsons Disease

Despite the fact that 200 years passed since the discovery of PD, it was not until later in the 20th century that progress in the treatment of PD was achieved, predominantly due to the limited understanding of PD pathophysiology. Given Carlssons discoveries of DAs involvement in the 1950s, it became clear that PD development involved dopaminergic cell death and a decrease of DA in the striatum and other structures of the forebrain. The first steps towards treatment were made by Carlsson , who proposed targeting this DA deficiency to facilitate symptom reduction.

Recommended Reading: How Does Occupational Therapy Help Parkinson Disease

The New Parkinsons Treatment That Is Curing The Disease In Mice

This new Parkinsons treatment is showing promise as a potential cure.

Scientists at the UC San Diego School of Medicine who thought they were studying connective tissue cell protein received quite a shock when they alternatively came across a therapy to eradicate signs and symptoms of Parkinsons disease in mice. Not just that, but the new Parkinsons treatment could be beneficial in many different conditions that call for the need to replace damaged tissue: diabetes, spinal cord injuries, even cardiovascular illnesses.

The research involved a siRNA technique, in which scientists grew fibroblasts in petri dishes while silencing the protein PTB. After a few weeks, they were surprised to realize the majority of fibroblasts had changed into neurons.

Lead author of the study, Xiang-Dong Fu, explained, Researchers around the world have tried many ways to generate neurons in the lab, using stem cells and other means, so we can study them better, as well as to use them to replace lost neurons in neurodegenerative diseases. The fact that we could produce so many neurons in such a relatively easy way came as a big surprise.

The research team then decided to test their new theory on Parkinsons disease in mice, finding that it completely restored movement and functionality for the remainder of the mices lifetime even those with an advanced case of the disease.

Latest Neuroscience Findings Include Lifestyle Factors Advances In Treatment

Parkinsons disease is a complex multi-system brain disorder impacting movement and the regulation of mood. Strides have been made in understanding the mechanism of PD and ways to prevent and slow neurodegeneration. Below is a roundup of 10 of the latest advances in understanding and treating Parkinsons that our wellness center is keeping an eye on.

You May Like: Parkinson’s And Personality Changes

Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Pivotal Pathological Mechanism Of Parkinsons Disease

Mitochondria are complex cytosolic organelles of eukaryotic cells whose primary function is the generation of cellular energy in the form of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation. Mammalian mitochondria contain between 2 and 10 mitochondrial DNA molecules encoding 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and 13 polypeptides, each of which is part of the respiratory chain and the oxidative phosphorylation system . The mitochondrial respiratory chain contains four protein complexes that form the site of oxidative phosphorylation. This site is responsible for NADH and FADH2 oxidation, co-occurring with the movement of protons from the matrix into the intermembrane space. This movement produces an electrochemical gradient denoted as mitochondrial membrane potential . This gradient stimulates the ATP synthase to reduce molecular oxygen and synthesize ATP. This step is fundamental in aerobic metabolism and constitutes the primary provider of ATP at the final stage of cellular respiration . Nevertheless, the biological function of mitochondria goes far beyond energy production and includes the metabolism of lipids and amino acids and the support of intermediate metabolic pathways, such as the Krebs cycle.

Drug Delivery Systems For Neurotrophic Factor Therapy

Besides GDNF, other neurotrophic factor such as basic fibroblast growth factor have been evaluated. One example involves gelatin nanostructured lipid carriers encapsulating bFGF that can be targeted to the brain via nasal administration . Overall, the nanoformulation stimulated dopaminergic function in surviving synapses and played a neuroprotective role in 6-OHDA hemiparkinsonian rats. A very recent study took advantage of the neuroprotective properties of Activin B, which was administered in a parkinsonian mice using a thermosensitive injectable HG . The biomaterial allowed a sustained protein release over 5 weeks and contributed to substantial cellular protection and behavioral improvement.

Also Check: Alan Alda Parkinson’s Diagnosis

Diagnosis And Clinical Assessment Devices

The use of new technology-based tools allows quantitative assessment of the motor function of PD patients. Sensors, video-assessment methods or mobile phone applications are some of the techniques that improve the sensitivity, accuracy and reproducibility of the evaluation of PD patients . Portable devices that include inertial measurement units measure the orientation, amplitude and frequency of movement, as well as the speed of the part of the body where they are located. IMUs are usually made up of accelerometers and gyroscopes, and occasionally magnetometers. IMUs situated in different parts of the patients body make a precise record of tremor, bradykinesia, dyskinesias and even gait patterns . On the other hand, continual monitoring of the motor status in the domestic environment is also possible by using these technology-based tools . These new technology-based systems open up an unexpected range of specific and real-time data, thereby resulting in the prospect of better diagnostic accuracy, more sensitive monitoring of the motor and non-motor symptoms, and more precise adjustments of medical therapies. However, their use is limited in routine clinical practice due to the heterogeneity of the studies, which limit the extrapolation of results, and the high cost of the devices .

The Revolution In Genetic Research In Parkinsons Disease

In 1997, the world of PD research changed. For the first time, though very rare, an autosomal dominant mutation responsible for the protein alpha-synuclein was described. By 2016, at least eight monogenic causes for PD are known. The autosomal dominant forms relate either to a mutation of alpha-synuclein or to LRRK2, whereas autosomal recessive forms cause mitochondrial dysfunction. The third major discovery was the fact that 37% of patients with idiopathic PD carry a heterozygous mutation for the gene glucocerebrosidase A. Genome-wide association studies have confirmedbesides the role of alpha-synucleinthe importance of the microtubule-associated protein tau in the etiopathogenesis of PD. Furthermore, at least 28 genetic risk factors have been identified, and it is likely that this number will further increase . These discoveries have already had a major impact on the development of new therapies, especially in regard to potentially disease-modifying compoundsas will be discussed in relation to the alpha-synuclein spreading hypothesis below.

Also Check: Possible Causes Of Parkinson’s Disease

New Protocols Extend Therapeutic Benefits Of Deep Brain Stimulation

Date:

Carnegie Mellon University

Summary:

Researchers have found a way to make deep brain stimulation more precise, resulting in therapeutic effects that outlast what is currently available. The work will significantly advance the study of Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have found a way to make deep brain stimulation more precise, resulting in therapeutic effects that outlast what is currently available. The work, led by Aryn Gittis and colleagues in CMU’s Gittis Lab, will significantly advance the study of Parkinson’s disease.

DBS allows researchers and doctors to use thin electrodes implanted in the brain to send electrical signals to the part of the brain that controls movement. It is a proven way to help control unwanted movement in the body, but patients must receive continuous electrical stimulation to get relief from their symptoms. If the stimulator is turned off, the symptoms return immediately.

Gittis, an associate professor of biological sciences in the Mellon College of Science and faculty in theNeuroscience Institute, said that the new research could change that.

“By finding a way to intervene that has long-lasting effects, our hope is to greatly reduce stimulation time, therefore minimizing side effects and prolonging battery life of implants.”

Teresa Spix, the first author of the paper, said that while there are many strong theories, scientists do not yet fully understand why DBS works.

Story Source:

Journal Reference:

What New Treatments Are Being Developed

Thanks to the progress we’ve already made, new treatments are being tested in clinical trials that have the potential to slow, stop or even reverse Parkinson’s.

These include:

• stem cell therapies, which aim to use healthy, living cells to replace or repair the damage in the brains of people with Parkinson’s
• gene therapies, which use the power of genetics to reprogramme cells and change their behaviour to help them stay healthy and work better for longer
• growth factors , which are naturally occurring molecules that support the growth, development and survival of brain cells.

And we’re developing treatments that aim to improve life with the condition, including new drugs that can reduce dyskinesia.

Also Check: Motor And Non Motor Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease

Strategies For The Treatment Of Parkinsons Disease: Beyond Dopamine

• 1Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile
• 2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
• 3Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
• 4Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
• 5Research & Development Service, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, FL, United States

Parkinsons disease is the second-leading cause of dementia and is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra alongside the presence of intraneuronal -synuclein-positive inclusions. Therapies to date have been directed to the restoration of the dopaminergic system, and the prevention of dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the midbrain. This review discusses the physiological mechanisms involved in PD as well as new and prospective therapies for the disease. The current data suggest that prevention or early treatment of PD may be the most effective therapeutic strategy. New advances in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of PD predict the development of more personalized and integral therapies in the years to come. Thus, the development of more reliable biomarkers at asymptomatic stages of the disease, and the use of genetic profiling of patients will surely permit a more effective treatment of PD.

What Kinds Of Genetic Research Is Being Done

Researchers are investigating genes that code proteins responsible for producing dopamine. By increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain, Parkinson’s symptoms can be minimized if not prevented.

What other treatments are being researched?

• Drug treatments. Researchers are investigating drugs that block the action of glutamate, an amino acid that destroys nerve cells, as well as the role of the antioxidant coenzyme Q-10 in slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
• Neural growth factor. Preliminary studies have shown that neural growth factor revives the dormant cells needed to produce dopamine, dramatically improving symptoms.
• Deep brain stimulation. Research is underway to better understand how deep brain stimulation works in Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are also studying improved ways of stimulating the brain.

Read Also: Laser Treatment For Parkinson’s Disease

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

RBD is a parasomnia effecting REM sleep characterized by the occurrence of atypical motor or cognitive events during REM sleep due to the reduction of the normal skeletal muscle atonia, thus leading to abnormal nocturnal behavior, such as punching, kicking, flailing and vocalization, self-inflicted injuries or injuries of bed partners . Up to date, RBD has been supposed to be the most common and best-characterized parasomnia in PD with an approximated prevalence between 30% and 59% . At the same time, imaging studies in RBD patients reveal a little but a quite significant symmetrical loss in striatal dopaminergic uptake. This result reflects the neuronal loss and -synuclein degeneration of the brainstem nucleus, so the brain region affected by RBD is in the second phase of the Braak hypothesis , RBD maybe precede the emergence of other symptoms of PD in the Braak disease flow chart, and it can become suggestive of preclinical PD.

The Decades Of Focus On The Nigrostriatal System And Dopamine Replacement Therapy

Parkinsons disease is a devastating disorder of the human nervous system and the second most common progressive chronic neurodegenerative disease. The three cardinal motor symptoms, akinesia in combination with either tremor at rest or rigidity , are200 years after their descriptionstill the basis of the clinical diagnosis. Up to 2016, we still have no treatment to slow down or even stop the progression of the disease. Available therapy is symptomatic. This article presents evidence that for the first time in history substances with a potentially disease-modifying effect for PD are under development and thus offer hope for the patient, the spouse, and the treating physician.

Recommended Reading: Is Parkinson’s Disease Hereditary

Figure 1 Scheme Of A Dopaminergic Synapse With The Different Sites Of Actions For Symptomatic Parkinsons Disease Therapy

COMT, catechol-O-methyl-transferase D1, D1 receptor: agonist D2, D2/D3 receptor D2b, presynaptic D2-autoreceptor DDC, L-DOPA-decarboxylase DOPAC, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid L-DOPAa, L-dihydroxyphenylalanine MAO-A, monoaminooxidase A MAO-B, monoaminooxidase B TH, tyrosine hydroxylase 3MT, 3 methoxy-tyramine *, effect of L-DOPA **, effect of dopamine agonists ***, effect of MAO-B-inhibitor ****, effect of COMT-inhibitor , vesicle the round structure represents the symbol for the vesicle , the arrow represents the uptake mechanism – dopamine reuptake mechanism. aRecently approved for therapy of Parkinsons disease .

Anatomy Morphology And Functional Organization Of The Midbrain Da System

The complexity of the dopaminergic system seems to coincide with evolutionary development given that the number, size, and distribution, as well as receptor subtypes of dopaminergic neurons in the brain, increases alongside phylogenetic complexity . For example, dopaminergic terminal fields arising from midbrain clusters are more prominent and less segregated in the neocortex of primates than in rodents .

Dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain are mainly located in the SNc and VTA, although some smaller clusters have been found elsewhere, for instance, the dorsal and median raphe nuclei . In a classic article by Dahlstroem and Fuxe , SNc and VTA DA neurons were characterized based on their organization and projection patterns, which, in rat, can be found discrete clusters . SNc neurons innervate the dorsal and lateral striatum, thus forming a nigrostriatal pathway , and are necessary for the initiation and control of motor movements. Accordingly, the degeneration of this pathway is considered to be responsible for much of the motor dysfunction associated with PD. The VTA innervates the ventral striatum, nucleus accumbens, and limbic and cortical areas, and this way forms the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways .

Recommended Reading: Drugs That Can Mimic Parkinson’s Disease

How We’re Speeding Up The Search For A Cure

We believe that new and better treatments are possible in years, not decades, and we have a clear strategy for making this happen. This includes:

• backing the best and brightest minds to unlock scientific discoveries that will lead to new treatments and a cure
• accelerating the development and testing of new treatments through our Virtual Biotech
• collaborating internationally to make clinical trials faster, cheaper and more likely to succeed through the Critical Path for Parkinson’s