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Overcoming epistemic injustices in the biomedical study of ayahuasca. Towards ethical and sustainable regulation

Ayahuasca, Parkinson's Disease, Pre-PD /

After decades of biomedical research on ayahuasca’s molecular compounds and theirphysiological effects, recent clinical trials show evidence of therapeutic potential for depression.However, indigenous peoples have been using ayahuasca therapeutically for a very longtime, and thus we question the epistemic authority attributed to scientific studies, proposing thatepistemic injustices were committed with practical, cultural, social and legal […]

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A novel multi-target strategy to attenuate the progression of Parkinson’s disease by diamine hybrid AGE/ALE inhibitor

A-Synuclein, Parkinson's Disease, Pre-PD /

Instead of a conventional ‘one-drug-one-target approach’, this article presents a novel multi-target approach with a concept of trapping simultaneously as many detrimental factors as possible involved in the progression of Parkinson’s disease. These factors include reactive carbonyl species, reactive oxygen species, Fe3+/Cu2+ and ortho-quinones (o-quinone), in particular. Different from the known multi-target strategies for Parkinson’s disease,

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Genome-wide association study of REM sleep behavior disorder identifies novel loci with distinct polygenic and brain expression effects

A-Synuclein, Genetic, iRBD, Pre-PD /

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), enactment of dreams during REM sleep, isan early clinical symptom of alpha-synucleinopathies. RBD also defines more severe forms of alphasynucleinopathies. The genetic background of RBD and its underlying mechanisms are not wellunderstood. Here, we performed the first genome-wide association study of RBD, identifying five RBD riskloci. Expression

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Neurotoxins that cause parkinsonism and the search for analogues in the environment

Biomarkers /

Through the tragic misadventures described in Addicts,the parkinsonism-inducing neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) was discovered. It hasbeen one of the most important tools in generating animalmodels to study Parkinson’s disease. Studies of how it killsdopaminergic neurons have revealed their Achilles’ heel,mitochondria, the power plants of cells. Mitochondriaprovide cells with adenosine triphosphate, the chemicalenergy molecule that the cells’

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Gut bacteria identified in colorectal cancer patients promote tumourigenesis via butyrate secretion

Butyrate, Gut Dysbiosis, Gut Microbiota, Short Chain Fatty Acids /

Emerging evidence is revealing that alterations in gut microbiota are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, very little is currently known about whether and how gut microbiota alterations are causally associated with CRC development. Here we show that 12 faecal bacterial taxa are enriched in CRC patients in two independent cohort studies. Among them, 2 Porphyromonas species

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Circulatory 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D as differential biomarkers between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson’s disease patients

Parkinson's Disease, Pre-PD, Vitamins / Supplements / Nutraceuticals /

There is sufficient evidence to support vitamin D’s noncalcemic effects and the role ofvitamin D deficiency in the development of a wide range of neurological disorders. This study aimed to evaluatewhether serum 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH) 2 D could be used as biomarkers to differentiate between healthy subjects(HS), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson’s disease (PD)

Circulatory 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D as differential biomarkers between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson’s disease patients Read More »

Mild Parkinsonian Signs: A Systematic Review of Clinical, Imaging, and Pathological Associations

Biomarkers, Parkinson's Disease, Pre-PD /

There are currently no consistent radiological findings for MPS, and pathological studies have shown that MPS, at least in the oldest old, are often underpinned by mixed neuropathologies, including those associated with Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease, nigral neuronal loss, and Lewy bodies. Different subcategories of MPS appear to convey varying risk and specificity for PD

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Mitochondrial Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Prodromal Parkinson’s Disease: A Metabolomic Analysis

Biomarkers, Mitochondria, Parkinson's Disease, Pre-PD /

For the development of disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) the identification of biomarkers in the prodromal stage is urgently required. Because PD is considered a systemic disease even in the early stage, we performed a metabolomic analysis of the plasma from a mouse model of prodromal PD (p-PD). Increased levels of isobutyrylcarnitine in p-PD

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Calcium channels and iron metabolism: A redox catastrophe in Parkinson’s disease and an innovative path to novel therapies?

Iron, Parkinson's Disease, Pre-PD /

Autonomously spiking dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) are exquisitely specialized and suffer toxic iron-loading in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the molecular mechanism involved remains unclear and critical to decipher for designing new PD therapeutics. The long-lasting (L-type) CaV1.3 voltage-gated calcium channel is expressed at high levels amongst nigral neurons of the

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Advances in early predictors for phenotypic transformation of idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

A-Synuclein, Biomarkers, iRBD, Pre-PD /

Idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder is recognized as a prodromal stage of α-synucleinopathies such as Parkinson′s disease, Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy. It is important to timely identify early predictors that can predict early conversion into α-synucleinopathies. This review provided an update on classic and novel early predictors of α-synucleinopathies in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and provided a comprehensive understanding on the phenotypic transformation of the disease. CLICK TO

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