Summary: Two studies from the University at Buffalo shed new light on the very dearly development of Parkinson's disease. Using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies, the researchers could identify regions linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) based on images showing the status of both white and gray matter.

Comment: The findings could be used to help develop better ways to assess a person's risk of developing PD, diagnose it, and treat the dementia associated with the disease. Currently there is no known cause or cure for PD.

Summary: Researchers at Rush University Medical Center reported that neurons grafted into the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s disease fourteen years ago have developed Lewy body pathology, a condition that precedes Parkinson's disease. The finding suggest that Parkinson’s disease is an ongoing process that can affect cells grafted into the brain in the same way the disease affects host dopamine neurons in the brain.

Comment: Scientists have long debated whether Parkinson’s disease results from an acute insult or event, or whether it is an ongoing pathological process that continues to affect healthy neurons, according to Kordower. This research indicates that mechanisms and molecules responsible for initiating the degenerative process are still present at a late stage and are capable of affecting grafted neurons. It is unclear presently whether stem cell grafts--another type of experimental cell replacement procedure--would also be affected by the degenerative process.

Summary: Researchers have identified a gene that, when switched off, causes folded proteins to accumulate within brain cells. Such accumulations, or "protein misfolding," is linked to age-related neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Comment: This research provides a better understanding of the genes and processes that make some people more susceptible to neurological diseases. It will contribute to the development of better diagnostics and therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

Summary: Data from a pioneering genome-wide association study (GWAS), which focused on Parkinson's disease, is now available to researchers through the the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Funded in part by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, the data was generated by the first genome-wide association study applied to Parkinson's disease and was previously available only to a few researchers.

Comment: The NIH and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) hope to speed research by making the GWAS data openly available to the research community. Because of the sensitive nature of the patient data, it cannot be deposited in unregulated public databases, which is why access to it had previously been so restricted. However, by implementing new access procedures, the NIH can now protect the confidentiality of the data and still make it available to qualified researchers. This move will significantly enhance current and upcoming research into Parkinson's disease.

Summary: Scientists have pinpointed the location in brain cells that determine whether a person develops Parkinson's disease. The defect in questions is a single missing phosphate in a protein called alpha-synuclein found in brain cells. Using gene therapy, scientists have been able to simulate and replace the missing phosphate in the brain cells of rats, successfully blocking Parkinson-like pathology.

Comment: The findings clarify the role of alpha-synuclein in brain function and how it may contribute to Parkinson's disease. They also identify the missing phosphate as another potential target for therapies to treat the disease.

Summary: Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a smell test involving 40 common odors. People with Parkinson's disease can typically identify 20 or fewer of the smells.

Comment: After further study and refinement, the test could be administered to predict people who are likely to develop Parkinson's disease or other neurological disorders.

Summary: A new study found that trichloroethylene (TCE) is a risk factor for Parkinsonism, a group of nervous disorders with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. TCE is an industrial chemical that leaches into drinking water, surface water, and soil.

Comment: Previous research has concluded that pesticides and other neurotoxins can lead to Parkinson's disease. This particular study specifically linked the chemical TCE to the broader group of neurological disorders.

Summary: A new website, Riskometer.org, from the American Council on Science and Health ranks the leading risk factors for death in the United States.

Comment: This helpful website puts your health risks into context by ranking their relative contribution to premature disease and death.

Summary: Natural genetic differences might help predict the most effective antipsychotic drug for a particular patient with Parkinson's disease.

Comment: Differences in the dopamine D2 receptor (a protein present on brain cells) affect brain activity and memory processing, including how well a patient will respond to certain drugs.

Summary: Immediate blood relatives of people who have Parkinson's disease have an increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders, and not just because of the emotional toll of support a family member with a chronic disease.

Comment: Future research will explore whether genetic or environmental factors, or a combination of the two, make family members susceptible.