Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter Posted: Tuesday, February 3, 2015, 12:00 PM TUESDAY, Feb. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have developed a blood test that they say could help neurologists detect Parkinson's disease and track the illness as it progresses. "If successful, we expect our findings will translate into a valuable diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease," said study co-author Judith Potashkin, professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. An estimated 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. There is no cure for the disease, which can cause tremors and severely hamper movement. While medications can be helpful, the illness gets worse over time, and medications do not stop its progression. Physicians traditionally diagnosed Parkinson's by analyzing symptoms. Now, brain scans are available that provide insight, but scan images can still leave room for doubt, Potashkin said. In their new study, researchers say they've found two genetic markers that are 90 percent effective at indicating the presence of Parkinson's disease. The markers are related to how the body processes glucose (blood sugar) and insulin, said study lead author Jose … Continue reading →

A device that measures movement and balance can effectively help assess and track the progression of Parkinson's disease, even when medications are used to reduce Parkinson's symptoms, UT Southwestern Medical Center research found. Researchers found that the APDM Mobility Lab -- a portable set of sensors that track gait, balance and other movement -- can effectively help clinicians estimate the depth and severity of the neurological disorder in affected individuals, even while patients are taking medications to control trembling and other symptoms. The findings appear in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. "Objective assessment tools for Parkinson's disease are needed to accelerate progress in developing effective therapies," said Dr. Richard Dewey, Jr., Professor of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, Clinical Director of the Clinical Center for Movement Disorders at UT Southwestern, and senior author of the study. "We might be able to actually measure the patient's progress or regression thoroughly and objectively." Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity or stiffness; and balance and coordination difficulties. According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, more than 10 million people worldwide and more than 1 million in the U.S. live with the disease. … Continue reading →

February 3, 2015 8:03 pm by Meghana Keshavan | 0 Comments MedCity News Cambridge biotech Lysosomal Therapeutics just raised a whopping $20 million Series A for its small molecule Parkinsons disease treatment, with backing from the venture arms of several big pharma Sanofi, Lilly and Roche. The company will use the proceeds of this round to optimize its main compound, and preclinically develop a glucocerebrosidase lysosomal enzyme activator to treat Parkinsons. The funding is also supporting a biomarker initiative, which already has funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research, that will helpselect patients for clinical trials and patient selection. This biomarker project will help researchers find the geneticlinks between other lysosomal storage disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, the company said in a statement. The round includes Atlas Venture, Hatteras Venture Partners, Lilly Ventures, Sanofi-Genzyme BIoVentures, Roche Venture Fund, Partners Innovation Fund and several of the original angels such as Orion Equity Partners, and LTI co-founders Henri Termeer and Bob Carpenter.The company brought in a $4.8 million seed round just last May, indicative of some serious interest in this approach to neurological drugs. Get our daily newsletter or follow us. Please enter your email below: Originally posted here: Lysosomal … Continue reading →