Although there are still some aspects pending confirmation for its use in the clinical setting, and its resolution needs to be improved slightly, a study by the UPV/EHU and Biobizkaia has shown that a method routinely used to carry out ophthalmological tests can also be used to monitor the neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson's patients. In the course of the research, it was found that the neurodegeneration of the retina probably precedes cognitive impairment.
When Parkinson's or another neurodegenerative disease is diagnosed, patients always ask, "And now what? What will happen? What can be expected from the disease?" For neurologists, however, it is not possible to answer these questions precisely, as "the evolution of patients tends to be very varied: some experience no change over the years, while others end up with dementia or in a wheelchair," explained Ane Murueta-Goyena, researcher in the UPV/EHU's department of Neurosciences.
A newly developed nanomaterial that mimics the behavior of proteins could be an effective tool for treating Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The nanomaterial alters the interaction between two key proteins in brain cells—with a potentially powerful therapeutic effect.
The innovative findings, recently published in the journal Advanced Materials, were made possible thanks to a collaboration between University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists and nanomaterial engineers at Northwestern University.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have found a way to better control the preclinical generation of key neurons depleted in Parkinson's disease, pointing toward a new approach for a disease with no cure and few effective treatments.
The researchers used an antibody to selectively activate a receptor in a molecular signaling pathway to develop dopaminergic neurons. These neurons produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter critical to brain health.
Researchers around the world have been working to coax stem cells to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons, to replace those lost in patients living with Parkinson's disease. But efforts have been hindered in part by an inability to target specific receptors and areas of the brain.
"We used synthetic antibodies that we had previously developed to target the Wnt signaling pathway," said Stephane Angers, principal investigator on the study and director of the Donnelly Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology.
