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. In a Duke-led study appearing Nov. 17 in Science Advances, the researchers report that the findings create a foundation for a new area of investigation, fueled by the timely impact of environmental […]
10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson’s
Researchers at UCLA Health and Harvard have identified 10 pesticides that significantly damaged neurons implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease, providing new clues about environmental toxins’ role in the disease. While environmental factors such as pesticide exposure have long been linked to Parkinson’s, it has been harder to pinpoint which pesticides may raise risk […]
Parkinson’s disease linked to gene targeted by blue-green algae toxin
Scientists have discovered a possible link between Parkinson’s disease and a gene impacted by a neurotoxin found in blue-green algae. University of Queensland scientist Dr Jacob Gratten said the findings increased the understanding of the environmental risk factors of Parkinson’s disease. “We looked for a link between Parkinson’s and changes in the human genome that […]
Tomatoes offer affordable source of Parkinson’s disease drug
Scientists have produced a tomato enriched in the Parkinson’s disease drug L-DOPA in what could become a new, affordable source of one of the world’s essential medicines. The development of the genetically modified (GM) tomato has implications for developing nations where access to pharmaceutical drugs is restricted. This novel use of tomato plants as a […]
Appendix removal associated with development of Parkinson’s disease
Patients who had their appendix removed were more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those whose appendix remained in place, according to the largest study to address the relationship between the two conditions. The retrospective study involving more than 62 million patient records from 26 health systems will be presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) […]
Study uncovers cause of pesticide exposure, Parkinson’s link
A new University of Guelph study has discovered why exposure to pesticides increases some people’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Previous studies have found an association between two commonly used agrochemicals (paraquat and maneb) and Parkinson’s disease. Now U of G professor Scott Ryan has determined that low-level exposure to the pesticides disrupts cells in […]