2023 has been a good year for PD research. Here is a rundown of a few of the latest discoveries along with a few other important things.

What I Didn’t Say – Ending Friday!

If you haven’t had a chance to view this 2 person play about living with Parkinson’s, you need to watch it now. After Friday, December 15, it will no longer be available.

Get rid of the styrofoam now!

From Parkinson’s News Today, December 6: Nanoplastics — very tiny particles found in the environment when plastic breaks down — that reach a person’s brain can increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease or its progression by prompting the protein alpha-synuclein to clump and turn toxic.

The study, “Anionic nanoplastic contaminants promote Parkinson’s disease–associated [alpha]-synuclein aggregation,” was published in Science Advances.

If it works for Monkeys, will it work for humans?

Alterity Therapeutics‘ ATH434 improved motor performance and overall function in non-human primates with induced Parkinson’s disease, according to data presented at the recent Future of Parkinson’s Disease Conference 2023.

The investigational therapy is currently undergoing evaluation in an open-label biomarker study called ATH434-202 (NCT05864365), which has begun enrolling 15 adults, ages 30-75 years, with multiple system atrophy (MSA), a form of atypical parkinsonism.

“These new data are exciting because we have shown for the first time that ATH434 can reduce Parkinson’s symptoms in a higher order animal — the monkey,” David Stamler, MD, CEO of Alterity, said in a press release.

Read more about it here

A Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s?

I can’t wait to hear about this.

Bayer opens new facility on its West Berkeley campus to launch cell therapy treatments

The first product the Biotech@Bayer team will produce is a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease, from BlueRock Therapeutics, a Bayer subsidiary.

The $250 million, 100,000-square-foot facility will supply the material required for late-stage clinical trials and the potential commercial launch of BlueRock Therapeutics’ bemdaneprocel (BRT-DA01), an investigational cell therapy currently in evaluation for treating Parkinson’s disease. In addition, it includes space for a second module of production suites to support additional cell therapies as Bayer’s portfolio advances. BlueRock Therapeutics LP is a clinical-stage cell therapy company and wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG.

Read about it here

Do you want to participate in Parkinson’s Trials?

Jen Heath has done some research on PD Trials that are available for you to participate in. She will be sharing them with you in Clinical Trials Corner, a new page on this website. In addition to the trials, she has information on what a clinical trial is and will be available to answer your questions. Thank you Jen!

Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!!!

Have a great week