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11/18/2009 Artist Irving Kriesberg Dies at 90 from Complications of Parkinson's Disease
Associated Press -
American painter Irving Kriesberg has died in New York City. He combined intense abstract colors with human and animal elements.
11/18/2009 Andy Grove's Prescription for Health Care
New York Times -
MJFF Founders' Council member Andrew S. Grove discusses the concept of translational medicine and how Parkinson's disease research could benefit from the practical, multidisciplinary approach.
11/16/2009 Gene Mutations Identified as Risk Factors for Sporadic PD
National Institutes of Health -
Two genes containing mutations known to cause rare familial forms of PD are also associated with the more common, sporadic form of the disease.
11/16/2009 Report Claims Thousands Wrongly Diagnosed With PD
Telegraph -
Researchers in Scotland, who assessed patients on anti-Parkinson's medication, found that five percent had little more than stiffness or hand tremors.
11/15/2009 Seeking a Shorter Path to New Drugs
The New York Times -
New approaches being adopted by the pharmaceutical industry aim to bring new medications to patients faster, using a system that makes the drugs more efficacious, offers greater safety and ultimately reduces the cost of therapies.
11/12/2009 Study Finds Features Linked to Mortality Risk in Parkinson's
HealthDay News -
A variety of motor and non-motor factors may be associated with a higher risk of mortality in patients with early Parkinson's disease.
11/12/2009 Potential Neurological Disease Drug Target Identified
UPI -
U.S. scientists say they've detailed the molecular structure of a key part of a cellular receptor involved in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's
and other diseases.
11/12/2009 Disease Can’t Slow Roach’s Ascent
Yahoo! Sports -
Boxing's best trainer, Freddie Roach, continues to develop championship fighters despite his 17 year battle with Parkinson's disease.
11/12/2009 Call for Joint EU Action on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
European Parliament -
Plans to coordinate research across Europe on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s received strong backing from the European Parliament in a newly adopted resolution.
11/11/2009 Space Perceptions May Slow Parkinson’s Sufferers
The Record -
Freezing of gait (walking movement) in Parkinson’s disease may be a problem of space perception, according to researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University.
11/10/2009 ASTRO: Tremors Respond to Radiosurgery Treatment
MedPage Today -
Radiosurgery for PD, essential tremor, and trigeminal neuralgia offers efficacy and safety that compare favorably with other treatment options, investigators reported here.
11/05/2009 Lonnie Ali's 10 Best Tips for Caregivers
ReadersDigest.com -
Lonnie Ali, boxing legend Muhammad Ali's wife and caregiver, shares what she's learned from caring for her husband.
10/28/2009 “I Hope You Don’t Mind If I Say This, But…” Why Doctors — and Others — Sometimes Don’t Hear Women with PD
In an essay for MJFF, Kathleen Kelley Reardon, PhD, probes the reasons why women with PD may have difficulty being heard by their doctors and offers tips to ensure their voices are heard.
10/27/2009 A Molecule of Motivation, Dopamine Excels at Its Task
The New York Times -
In the emerging view, discussed in part at the Society for Neuroscience meeting last week in Chicago, dopamine is less about pleasure and reward than about drive and motivation, about figuring out what you have to do to survive and then doing it.
10/23/2009 Chewing Gum May Help People with PD
The London Free Press -
London researchers have found the simple act of chewing gum helps people with Parkinson's swallow, reducing a major problem for those with the debilitating disease.
10/21/2009 Gene behind Gaucher Disease a Player in Parkinson's
HealthDay News -
An unprecedented worldwide study has clinched the case that the gene behind Gaucher disease, a rare neurological disorder, is also involved in Parkinson's disease.
10/21/2009 Correcting Speech Disorders Associated with Parkinson's Disease
Maryland Gazette -
Currently, the only way to improve speech affected by Parkinson's disease is through speech therapy.
10/21/2009 Exercise Protects Against Parkinson's
LaboratoryEquipment.com -
Long-term exercise protects against the loss of dopamine-producing cells and energy-producing mitochondria in neurons, a new study reports.
10/13/2009 Study Supports Possible Role of Urate in Slowing PD Progression
BBC News -
A research team has found evidence that elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.
10/13/2009 Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange
New York Times -
The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to add Parkinson’s disease to the growing list of illnesses presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange.
10/08/2009 Brain Wave Boost Sets Us to Slow Motion
New Scientist -
A UCL study shows that brain waves directly influence behavior. The finding could lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.
10/07/2009 Bicycling Engineer Discovers Pedaling Regimen for Disease
The Plain Dealer -
In a recent study, biomedical engineer Jay Alberts discovered that Parkinson's patients showed an improvement in motor function by following a cicyling regimen.
10/06/2009 Pimavanserin Program to Continue
Associated Press -
Two biotechnology companies said they will continue to develop pimavanserin as a potential Parkinson's disease treatment, despite failures in one late-stage study.
10/06/2009 Drivers with PD at Higher Risk of Crashes in Low Visibility
Science Daily -
A study published in a recent issue of Neurology found that drivers with mild to moderate PD may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility.
10/06/2009 Research Shows Bacteria Produces Chemical that Kills Nerve Cells
The Tuscaloosa News -
University of Alabama researchers have found a common soil bacteria that produces a chemical that kills nerve cells in laboratory tests.
10/01/2009 Sigma-Aldrich Receives Award From Michael J. Fox Foundation to Develop Parkinson's Disease Research Models
Sigma-Aldrich -
Sigma-Aldrich's newly opened SAGE(TM) Labs expected to create genetically engineered knockout rat models to better understand genetic causes of Parkinson's disease and identify new therapeutic approaches
09/24/2009 Drug May Slow Down Parkinson's Disease
ABC News Medical Unit -
Read ABC News coverage of results from the ADAGIO trial of Teva's Azilect (rasagiline) and its possible disease-modifying effect.
09/23/2009 From Teva's ADAGIO Trial: Inconclusive Results, but Possible Disease-modifying Effect, for Azilect (Rasagiline)
For early-stage PD patients, a 1-milligram dose of rasagiline met all three clinical endpoints for disease modification. However, a 2-milligram dose met only two of three endpoints. Because of this inconsistency, the drug cannot be definitively concluded to have disease-modifying effects. The Michael J. Fox Foundation spoke with Karl Kieburtz, MD, MPH, about how patients should interpret the news.
09/16/2009 Ropinirole Effective in Reducing Nocturnal Symptoms in Advanced Parkinson's Disease Not Optimally Controlled with Levodopa
DG Dispatch, Docguide.com -
Nocturnal symptoms in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease not optimally controlled with levodopa may be reduced by once-daily treatment with prolonged release ropinirole.
09/15/2009 Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's
US News and World Report -
People whose jobs bring them in regular contact with pesticides may be at increased risk for Parkinson's disease, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Neurology.
09/08/2009 MJFF Vice President of Research Programs Profiled in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery -
Todd Sherer, PhD, Vice President of Research Programs at MJFF, is interviewed about his role in identifying research priorities for Parkinson's disease.
09/07/2009 Society for Neuroscience 2009: A Panoply of Potential Cures for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Pittsburgh Medical Technology Examiner -
This year’s SFN conference (October 17-21) in Chicago, Illinois, is about fostering collaborations and finding cures for neurodegenerative diseases, and finding ways to hasten the transition from basic to clinical research.
08/27/2009 Study Using Embryonic Stem Cells Is Delayed
Bloomberg News -
Regulators have ordered a halt on the first human trial using embryonic stem cells.
08/17/2009 Discovery May 'Protect Brain Cells'
A drug given to transplant patients can protect brain cells from rogue genes that cause Parkinson's disease, say scientists. The discovery opens up new avenues of research into treatments for the condition, which affects the nerves which co-ordinate movement.
08/14/2009 Local Runner Aims to Best Actor Ryan Reynolds' NYC Marathon Time for Charity
Tim Reid has taken aim at actor Ryan Reynolds' marathon time in an effort to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
08/10/2009 Avian Flu Promotes Parkinson's?
Avian influenza can cause a predisposition to Parkinson's disease, according to research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
08/07/2009 Depomed's New Parkinson's Drug Shows Promise
Depomed, a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported positive updates regarding it's phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of Parkinson's disease with DM-1992, a novel sustained-release formulation of LevoDopa/Carbidopa. In July 2008, the Michael J. Fox Foundation awarded Depomed a preclinical grant which helped in the development of DM-1992
08/05/2009 Pesticides in Well Water Linked to Parkinson's disease
Pesticides in private well water have been linked to Parkinson's disease, adding to the list of long-term health risks for people in agricultural areas.
08/03/2009 FDA, European Medicines Agency Launch Good Clinical Practices Initiative
The FDA and the European Medicines Agency announced an agreement to launch a Good Clinical Practices Initiative to ensure that clinical trials in the United States and Europe are conducted uniformly, appropriately and ethically.
08/01/2009 Dementia Induced and Blocked in Parkinson's Fly Model
Parkinson's disease is well-known for impairing movement and causing tremors, but many patients also develop other serious problems, including sleep disturbances and significant losses in cognitive function known as dementia.
07/28/2009 Internet Provides Public with Health Care Information that They Value and Trust and Which Often Stimulates Discussion with Their Doctors
BusinessWire - The Internet has become a powerful influence in health care. Eleven years ago, in 1998, The Harris Poll(R) reported that about one-quarter of all adults, 54 million people had ever gone online to look for health information. This number increased rapidly every year until 2007, when we found that 71% of adults, 160 million people, had done this. The great majority of users find this information reliable and many discuss it with their doctors.
07/24/2009 Agent Orange Linked to Heart Disease, Parkinson's
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Agent Orange, used by U.S. forces to strip Vietnamese and Cambodian jungles during the Vietnam War, may raise the risk of heart disease and Parkinson's disease, U.S. health advisers said on Friday.
07/20/2009 Researchers Discover MicroRNA-7, a Possible Therapeutic Target to Slow Parkinson’s Disease
Researchers have discovered a therapeutic target that, when manipulated, may slow the progression of or halt Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects an estimated one million people in the United States.
07/15/2009 Learning of Risk of Alzheimer’s Seems to Do No Harm
A genetic test that can find an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease does no psychological harm to people who take it, even if they test positive for a risky gene, a new study finds.
07/13/2009 New Method May Accelerate Drug Discovery for Complex Diseases like Parkinson's
Scientists have developed a rapid, inexpensive drug-screening method of using baker's yeast to synthesize and screen molecules, cutting target discovery and preliminary testing time to a matter of weeks. The method could be used to target diseases that present complex challenges for drug developers, such as Parkinson's disease.
07/07/2009 UCB Brings Neupro® Back to All Patients in Europe
European Commission lifts the treatment restrictions for Neupro
06/26/2009 Enzyme Fights Mutated Protein in Inherited Parkinson’s Disease
An enzyme that naturally occurs in the brain helps destroy the LRRK2 protein that is the most common cause of inherited Parkinson’s disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
06/26/2009 PD Online Research: A New Resource for the Parkinson's Community
The Michael J. Fox Foundation has launched a new and invaluable resource for persons with Parkinson's disease, PD research advocates and scientists working on PD. While it is targeted mainly to research scientists working on PD, it is my impression that everyone can benefit from reading and contributing to the site.
06/20/2009 Protecting Your Job While Coping With a Chronic Illness
Workers with chronic illnesses face chronic uncertainty, forced to worry not only about their health but about their jobs as well.
06/11/2009 From Paris: Read Live Reports from the Movement Disorders Society 13th International Congress
At PD Online Research, Alison Urkowitz of The Michael J. Fox Foundation reports in real time from the Movement Disorders Society Congress in Paris, France.
06/11/2009 Dance for Parkinson’s Disease Comes to the Bay Area
Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD program, begun in Brooklyn, New York, has become increasingly active in the San Francisco Bay Area.
06/11/2009 Nintendo Wii May Enhance Parkinson's Treatment
The Nintendo Wii may help treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including depression, a Medical College of Georgia researcher says.
06/10/2009 MDS: Donepezil Treatment Reduces the Risk of Falls in Patients With Parkinson's Disease
Patients with Parkinson's disease treated with donepezil have as much as a 50-percent reduction in falls, thus enhancing their quality of life, according to researchers at the Movement Disorder Society's (MDS) 13th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders.
06/09/2009 PatientsLikeMe Teams Up With 23andMe to Help Parkinson's Patients
PatientsLikeMe is teaming with 23andMe on its effort to recruit 10,000 people with Parkinson's for a massive study of the disease, and give patients a way to learn more about their personal genetics.
06/09/2009 MDS: No Evidence Seen for 'Parkinsonian Personality'
Long-term study discounts novelty-seeking behavior as a risk factor for parkinsonism
06/08/2009 Seeing the Future for Parkinson's Patients
It takes stories such as former Portland Trail Blazer Brian Grant's to remind us how much we have to learn about Parkinson's disease. However, this is also a good opportunity to take stock of how far we have come.
06/08/2009 First Published LRRK2 Mutation Model of PD: Q&A with Chenjian Li, PhD
At PD Online Research, Kirsten Carlson, PhD, of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, asks Chenjian Li, PhD, about features and limitations of his new BAC LRRK2 pre-clinical model (partially funded by MJFF and published by Nature Neuroscience this month) and his hopes for its widespread use by the PD research community.
06/07/2009 Another Look at Stem Cell Research
Following the furor raised by President Barack Obama’s commencement address at the University of Notre Dame, perhaps it’s time to again examine the necessity for human embryonic stem cell research and review the reasons it must be continued and expanded rather than condemned.
06/04/2009 Music Therapy Treats Diseases and Conditions from Parkinson's to Autism
Listen up: belting out tunes in the shower may not only be music to your ears, but may also treat a variety of disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, aphasia and dementia.
06/02/2009 Researchers Race to Strip Stem Cells of Cancer Risk
The race to craft stem cells that have the virtues, but not the notoriety, of their embryonic brethren faces its final hurdle: becoming safe enough to help patients.
05/29/2009 End In Sight For UCB's Neupro Troubles
An end to the troubles plaguing UCB's (UCB.BT) key Parkinson's Disease formula Neupro looked close Friday after medical experts recommended sales restrictions on the product be lifted in Europe. Full approval in Europe could come by the end of June. But sales resumption in the U.S. isn't expected until early in 2010.
05/27/2009 Ceregene Presents Additional Clinical Data from Phase 2 Trial of CERE-120 for Parkinson's Disease
Ceregene, Inc., today reported further analyses of data from the Phase 2 CERE-120 trial, which indicate clinically modest but statistically significant increasing effects of CERE-120 over time.
05/26/2009 Man-made Polymer Promises Parkinson's Palliative
Researchers have discovered that alpha-synuclein, which plays a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease when it behaves abnormally, can be controlled with dendrimer, a man-made polymer also known as a ‘dense star’ polymer.
05/26/2009 The Lesser Known Toll Parkinson's Takes: Parkinson's Psychosis
Lisa Wolper has witnessed many changes in her husband, Tim, since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease seven years ago; shaking limbs, a loss of balance, a weakening voice -- these are all things the doctors told her would happen. The one thing she was not prepared for was the psychosis.
05/22/2009 Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Secures $34.5 Million to Progress Molecular Imaging Agents
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals has raised $34.5 million to fund final development stages and, if approved, to commercialize its Alzheimer’s amyloid imaging compound, 18F-AV-45, as well as to fund Phase II trials of its Parkinson’s disease imaging compound, 18F-AV-133.
05/20/2009 NBA Star Brian Grant Takes Charge of Parkinson's Battle
Brian Grant took a deep breath, ignored his left hand shaking as if it were trying to put out a match, and let go of the secret that had tormented him for the last four months. "I have young onset Parkinson's," he said.
05/08/2009 Zenobia Takes Up Arms Against Parkinson’s, Other CNS Diseases
Zenobia will use its screening technology to find compounds for further testing in pre-clinical models. Nienaber called the MJF Foundation an “incredibly savvy group. They understand the gap in funding between the NIH [National Institutes of Health] grants for early research” and the venture capitalists, who tend to shy away from early research-stage firms.
05/04/2009 Living with Parkinson's Disease: Public Misunderstandings, and the Occasional Laugh
Author and PD patient B. John Hale writes about living with Parkinson's.
05/01/2009 Brain Protein Central to Parkinson's, Drug Addiction Identified
Scientists have identified a protein that appears not only to be central to the process that causes Parkinson's disease but could also play a role in muting the high from methamphetamine and other addictive drugs.
04/30/2009 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Study Targets Root of Parkinson’s Disease
University of Arkansas at Little Rock chemistry professor Jerry Darsey and doctoral student Sushma Thotakura are leading a one-year study examining Parkinson’s disease at its most fundamental level with a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
04/30/2009 Neurons in Parkinson's Destroyed by Three Simultaneous Strikes
In a study that reveals the clearest picture to date of neuron death in Parkinson's disease, researchers have found that a trio of culprits acting in concert is responsible for killing the brain cells.
04/25/2009 Actor Remembers Announcer Who Shared Struggle
Michael J. Fox, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver taped a Michael J. Fox Foundation PSA at the News Corporation offices in Manhattan as part of the Fox Sports Supports campaign.
04/23/2009 75-Year-Old with Parkinson's Rescues Three Drowning Boaters in His Canoe
A 75-year-old with Parkinson's helped save three lives on Friday. Ed Fillingham was on the shore of Lake Ontario when he heard the screams of three boaters in the water.
04/22/2009 Teva to Present New Data on Azilect (Rasagiline)
Teva announced that several new studies addressing the Company’s innovative central nervous system (CNS) portfolio will be presented at the 61st Annual American Academy of Neurology meeting in Seattle starting April 28, 2009.
04/20/2009 Fish Oil May Protect Against Diseases Like Parkinson's
Researchers presented new research findings showing that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's.
04/18/2009 Parkinson's Partially Linked to Pesticides
UCLA researchers have provided strong new evidence linking at least some cases of Parkinson's disease to exposure to pesticides.
04/17/2009 NIH Releases Draft Guidelines for Federal Funding of Research Involving Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has posted draft guidelines for implementation of President Obama's March 9 Executive Order removing barriers to responsible scientific research involving human stem cells.
04/16/2009 Genes Show Limited Value in Predicting Diseases
The era of personal genomic medicine may have to wait. According to commentary published in the April 15
New England Journal of Medicine (co-authored by MJFF SAB member
Andrew Singleton, PhD), the genetic analysis of common disease is turning out to be a lot more complex than expected.
04/13/2009 A City of Strangers and Kindness
There are no rules of etiquette for dealing with a person who has a neurological disorder. Some people do stare; others recoil. Fortunately, though, many are genuine and forthcoming in their help. And that is as true here in New York City, supposedly the capital of heartless impatience, as it is anywhere in the country.
04/08/2009 It's Time to Fight the 'PharmaScolds'
Getting drugs to market is much harder than the media lets on. Leading research organizations such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease proactively build bridges with industry leaders, solicit advice from industry scientists, and fund projects in industry labs. But this enlightened view of industry is not widespread.
04/03/2009 Lighting Up Parkinson’s Disease Research
Most people do not think of jellyfish at the mention of Parkinson’s disease research. But researchers are using the same fluorescent protein that causes the green glow of jellyfish for their experiments testing potential drugs for the treatment of PD.
03/20/2009 Illuminating Parkinson's Disease
A new technique suggests how deep brain stimulation ameliorates symptoms of PD.
03/19/2009 Parkinson's-linked Mutation Makes Neurons Vulnerable to Calcium-induced Death
A new study reveals the mechanism by which a genetic mutation linked with Parkinson's disease renders dopamine neurons particularly vulnerable to cell injury and death.
03/19/2009 Spinal Shocks Ease Parkinson’s in Mice
By electrically stimulating the spinal cords of rodents, scientists have reversed some of the worst symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
03/13/2009 Young-onset Parkinson's Conferences: A First-ever Collaboration
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) and the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) announce plans to co-Sponsor a series of young-onset Parkinson's conferences; first to be held in Dallas, Texas, October 2009
03/13/2009 23andMe-Led Team Offers Program to Enroll Parkinson's Patients
The personal genetics service firm 23andMe, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and the Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center announced that they are enrolling 10,000 people to be part of a new Parkinson's disease community.
03/12/2009 Google-Backed 23andMe Seeks Parkinson’s Patients' Spit
Gene-testing company 23andMe wants to collect DNA from the spit of 10,000 people with Parkinson’s disease to hunt for common genes that may cause the illness or predict patients’ response to drugs.
03/12/2009 A Google Founder’s Gift: Money and His DNA
Sergey Brin, the billionaire co-founder of Google, says he plans to contribute money and his DNA to a large study intended to reveal the genetic underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease.
03/09/2009 Obama Lifts Bush’s Strict Limits on Stem Cell Research
Pledging that his administration will “make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,” President Obama on Monday lifted the Bush administration’s strict limits on human embryonic stem cell research.
03/06/2009 Do Not Spend the Lion’s Share of the Stimulus Money for NIH on Traditional RO1 Grants
As usual, the battle cry is show me the money – spend it in traditional ways at traditional places for traditional outcomes, which tend to be cautious and incremental. Well, says, Greg Simon, president of FasterCures, Sow me the money. Let’s sow the future of medicine with the stimulus money, let’s not sprinkle it over the depleted fields of traditional approaches that are no longer the most fertile ground for innovation.
03/06/2009 Obama to End Bush Ban on Embryo Stem Cell Research
President will end restrictions on government funding for research crucial for developing new medical treatments
03/05/2009 Cells Are Converted in Promising Approach to Parkinson’s
In a striking instance of biologists’ new prowess at manipulating human cells, researchers have converted skin cells from people with Parkinson’s disease into the general type of neuron that is destroyed in the disease.
03/02/2009 Virus-free Pluripotency for Human Cells
For the first time, specialized human cells have been transformed into a state similar to that seen in embryonic stem cells, without using viruses. The advance edges stem cell biologists closer to clearing a barrier to using reprogrammed cells for therapies and drug screening.
02/26/2009 Reproductive Factors May Protect Women From Parkinson's Disease
A large new study provides evidence that longer exposure to the body's own hormones may protect women from Parkinson's disease. The study was released and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009.
02/25/2009 Addiction: Insights From Parkinson's Disease
A new research review provides insights into the neurological basis of addiction by investigating Parkinson's disease patients, who in some instances develop various addictions when undergoing medical treatment.
02/24/2009 Stem Cell Inaction Prompts Concern
Legal complexities may underlie the delay in fulfilling election pledge.
02/23/2009 Calculating Gene and Protein Connections in a Parkinson's Disease Model
A novel approach to analyzing cellular data is yielding new understanding of Parkinson's disease's destructive pathways.
02/17/2009 Phase I Trial of Novel Gastric Extended-release Dosage Form of Levodopa/ Carbidopa Initiated Following Positive Results of Preclinical Studies
Depomed, Inc., today announced that it has dosed the first patient in a Phase I trial for its DM-1992 program in Parkinson’s disease based on positive results from preclinical studies sponsored by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
02/16/2009 Louie Bellson, Legendary Drummer and Band Leader, Dies at 84 from Complications of Parkinson's Disease
Louie Bellson, the legendary San Jose drummer and band leader who played with jazz greats for more than six decades, died Saturday in Los Angeles from complications of Parkinson's disease.
02/16/2009 Family History of Melanoma Linked to Parkinson's Disease
People with a family history of melanoma may have a greater risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a new study.
02/13/2009 House Passes Stimulus Package, Senate Could Vote Tonight
The House passed the bill and the Senate is expected to vote today or tonight. The package includes $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $19 billion for Health IT, and other science funding.
02/09/2009 Scientists Heartened at Prospect of End to Stem Cell Ban
Anticipation of President Barack Obama's lifting of the eight-year ban on embryonic stem cell research moved one step closer to reality Thursday, with media reports that Obama gave House Democrats at a closed-door Virginia retreat a "guarantee" that he would sign an executive order overturning Bush's policy.
02/06/2009 Study Reveals Connection between Genetic and Environmental Causes of Parkinson’s Disease
Scientists have found that a single gene known as PARK protects cells from manganese toxicity and rescues neurons from over-expression of the protein alpha-synuclein. Misfolded alpha-synuclein is the hallmark of Parkinson’s disease.
02/04/2009 Obama Keeping Stem Cell Advocates Waiting
Within days of taking office, President Obama was expected to sign an executive order to remove Bush-era federal funding limits on embryonic stem cell research. Now that days are turning into weeks, proponents of the research are looking for explanations while insisting that Obama's support has not wavered.
02/04/2009 Indianapolis 500-Winning Team Owner Teddy Mayer Dies at 73 after Battle with Parkinson's
Edward "Teddy" Mayer, whose McLaren team accomplished a double in 1974 and 1976 -- winning the Indianapolis 500 with driver Johnny Rutherford and winning the Formula One world driver's championship with Emerson Fittipaldi (1974) and James Hunt (1976) -- died January 30 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 73.
02/04/2009 Economic Recovery Act Now Holds $10 Billion for NIH
The economic stimulus bill being debated in the U.S. Senate this week now includes $10 billion in new funding for the National Institutes of Health, after an amendment added to the bill last night was being confirmed through a voice vote.
02/03/2009 Bush's Stem Cell Ban to End?
The rumors around Washington, DC say that President Barack Obama could overturn George W. Bush's 2001 federal funding ban on embryonic stem cell research using lines that were derived after August 9 of that year as soon as next week.
02/02/2009 Study Finds Link between Parkinson's Disease Genes and Manganese Poisoning
A research team has found a genetic interaction between two Parkinson's disease genes (alpha-synuclein and PARK9) and determined that the PARK9 protein can protect cells from manganese poisoning, which is an environmental risk factor for a Parkinson's disease-like syndrome.
02/02/2009 Parkinson's Disease: A Family History
Parkinson's disease is part of journalist Dave Iverson's personal history: His father had it, his brother has it and he has it. Fresh Air interviews Iverson on his PBS "Frontline" documentary My Father, My Brother, and Me, airing February 3 on PBS stations nationwide, which attempts to understand and explain the degenerative neurological disorder that affects more than one million Americans.
02/02/2009 Lukas Foss, Composer and Conductor, Dies
Lukas Foss, a composer whose musical curiosity led him to create pieces that reflected a variety of styles, has died of a heart attack at age 86. He had also been living with Parkinson's disease.
02/02/2009 Genetic Change Prevents Cell Death In Mouse Model Of Parkinson's Disease
By shifting a normal protective mechanism into overdrive, scientists have shielded mice from a toxic chemical that would otherwise cause Parkinson's disease.
01/26/2009 15th Annual Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) Research and Public Policy Forum
The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN), the unified education and advocacy voice of the Parkinson’s community, welcomes you to the 15th Annual Research and Public Policy Forum Sunday, March 15 through Tuesday, March 17, 2009 in Washington, DC.
01/26/2009 Pfizer Agrees to Pay $68 Billion for Rival Drug Maker Wyeth
The board of Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker, agreed to acquire a rival, Wyeth, for $68 billion, the companies announced Monday.
01/26/2009 FasterCures Task Force Calls for New Mission and Focus for National Institutes of Health’s Intramural Research Program
A task force chaired by Nobel laureate David Baltimore has called for the NIH Intramural Research Program to adopt a new mission that is outcomes-focused and capable of responding quickly to new opportunities and challenges.
01/24/2009 Exposed to Solvent, Worker Faces Hurdles
The gap between what researchers are discovering about environmental contaminants and what they can prove about their impact on disease has ensured that only a tiny fraction of worker’s compensation payments are received by those who were exposed to harmful substances at work.
01/23/2009 Small Biotechs Increasingly Seek Funds From Nonprofit Groups
Todd Sherer, PhD, MJFF's VP of Research Programs, weighs in on why small biotechnology companies, facing a cash crunch amid a poor funding environment, are increasingly turning to nonprofit groups for alternative sources of cash.
01/12/2009 Brain Disorder Suggests Common Mechanism May Underlie Many Neurodegenerative Diseases
A Mayo Clinic-led international consortium has found a mechanism that may help explain Parkinson's and other neurological disorders.
01/11/2009 My Genome, Myself
In the coming era of consumer genetics, your DNA will have much to tell you about the biological bases of your health, your physique and even your personality. But will this knowledge really amount to self-knowledge?
01/07/2009 Deep Brain Stimulation Helps Those with Advanced Parkinson's
Study found both physical function and quality of life improved
01/05/2009 Save the Date: FRONTLINE to Air Parkinson's Special February 3, 2009
"My Father, My Brother and Me," television and radio producer Dave Iverson's film on Parkinson's disease (featuring an interview with Michael J. Fox), will air on FRONTLINE on February 3, 2009. (Check local listings for air time on your local PBS station.)
01/05/2009 Biogen Idec Takes Aim at New Parkinson’s Paradigm
If Biogen Idec’s drug candidate for Parkinson's lives up to its promise, it could be one of the early movers in a new class of medicines that minimize secondary symptoms and keep standard therapy from wearing off over time.
01/03/2009 Tennis Balls for Tremor Treatment
Doctors in the United Kingdom are using tennis balls to treat people with Parkinson's disease. The balls are part of a series of exercises to help reduce stiffness in the hands and aid tremor reduction.
01/02/2009 Pathway that Regulates Survival Factor Implicated in Parkinson’s
A group of researchers say that they have uncovered a pathway that modulates cell loss and survival in Parkinson’s. They found that an accumulation of alpha-synuclein interferes with cells’ recycling of a protein called MEF2D, leading to cell death.
01/02/2009 Rhode Island Senator Pell, Creator of Pell Grants, Dies at 90
Claiborne Pell, who was the force behind a grant program that has helped tens of millions of Americans attend college, died Thursday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 90.
