A Common Marker of Neurological Diseases May Play Role in Healthy Brains
The news story features Team Gradinaru’s discovery that a protein called phosphorylated -synuclein, which is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, is also involved in the normal processes of how neurons communicate with each other in a healthy brain.
A Substantial Number of Parkinson’s Disease Cases Can Be Attributed to Preventable Risk Factors, New Research Finds
This news story discusses a research study by Team Liddle in Nature’s Parkinson’s Disease journal that found that preventable risk factors play a significant role in a person’s potential of developing Parkinson’s disease.
2023: A Year in Review
ASAP reflects on the results our initiative, network, and supported programs have had on providing new insights into Parkinson’s disease in 2023. Together, we have uncovered novel discoveries and made progress toward our vision of advancing collaborative, transparent research processes, and environments that deliver faster and better outcomes in PD research.
Tiny Pieces of Discarded Plastics Like Styrofoam May Promote Parkinson’s
This story reports on a research study by Team Liddle that found that nanoplastics that can 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.
Nanoplastics Promote Conditions for Parkinson’s Across Various Lab Models
Read this article to see how ASAP Team Liddle found that nanoplastics interact with a particular protein that is naturally found in the brain, creating changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and some types of dementia.
Brain’s Hidden “Junk” – Mysterious RNA Circles Produced by Cells Damaged in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease
SciTechDaily discusses a research study by Team Scherzer that identified over 11,000 distinct RNA circles that characterized brain cells implicated in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Study Adds to Evidence That Parkinson’s Starts in the Gut
This story reports on new findings from Team Sulzer that indicates that PD begins in the gut and that what triggers initial gastrointestinal changes in Parkinson’s could be a misdirected immune attack.
Dopamine Neurons May Be More Diverse Than Thought
Parkinson’s News Today discusses a cellular study of mice by Team Awatramani that found that a specific subset of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain appear to respond to movement acceleration and correspond with the region where cell death is particularly pronounced in PD.
Parkinson’s Disease: Essential Role in Neuroinflammation Found for a Subset of Brain Macrophages
Team Sulzer used a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease to show that border-associated macrophages — not microglia — mediate the neuroinflammatory response in the brain.
Finding Rewrites Understanding Into Parkinson’s Disease Pathway
This news story reports on a study by Team Hurley that solves a mystery about how the protein Optineurin recognizes unhealthy mitochondria “tagged” by PINK1 and Parkin, enabling their delivery to our body's garbage disposal system.
Red/Yellow Brain Pigment Linked to Parkinson’s Disease: Study
This story discusses a study by Team Chen that found that people with Parkinson’s disease have higher than normal levels of a nerve cell-damaging red/yellow pigment called pheomelanin in their substantia nigra, the area of the brain that’s mainly affected by the neurodegenerative disease.
New Study Puts Gut Microbiome at the Center of Parkinson’s Disease Pathogenesis
Science Daily covers a study by Team Liddle that says that the gut microbiome is involved in multiple pathways in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.
Metagenomics of Parkinson’s Disease Implicates the Gut Microbiome in Multiple Disease Mechanisms
This podcast episode features Haydeh Payami from Team Liddle and discusses how the gut microbiome may play a role in Parkinson's disease according to metagenomics.
2022: A Year in Review
ASAP reflects on the progress made in 2022 toward our vision of advancing collaborative, transparent research processes and environments that deliver faster and better outcomes in Parkinson’s disease research.
Congratulations to the 2022 COSA Prize Recipients
ASAP’s second annual Celebration of Scientific Achievement (COSA) showcased the outstanding contributions of young investigators across our Collaborative Research Network (CRN). This year’s event attracted over 400 participants, with 140 abstracts being showcased from across the network.
Yale Scientists Will Use $9M Grant to Create Map of Gut-brain Axis
Parkinson's News Today reports on ASAP Team Hafler's goal of generating a detailed map of the “gut-brain axis,” the complex communication route between brain and belly — focusing on the gut microbiome — that is increasingly thought to play a key role in Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
First ASAP In-Person Meeting
It was a reunion for some and a first union for many as members of ASAP’s Collaborative Research Network (CRN) gathered for their inaugural in-person meeting in early April.
Probing a Parkinson’s Paradox
An ASAP research initiative digs into the mystery of paradoxical kinesia—the swift movement in patients whose motor functions are impaired by Parkinson’s Disease.
2 Northwestern Researchers Awarded $17.9M in ASAP Grants
Check out this article from Parkinson's News Today to learn more abut how ASAP Team Awatramani's research is focusing on brain circuits, the specific populations of interconnected brain cells that carry out functions together, and how particular circuits may be affected in Parkinson’s.
