In a new medical breakthrough, it has been just revealed the fact that a Parkinson’s drug is able to reduce disease markers. Check out the latest reports that have just dropped below.
Parkinson’s drug can drop disease marker levels
Science Alert just noted the fact that a new therapy designed to clear toxic clumps of a protein thought to be responsible for Parkinson’s disease has shown promise in early clinical trials.
The US biotechnology company Vaxxinity has developed an immunotherapy candidate called UB-312. It is the first treatment to have shown the ability to reduce the concentration of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in cerebrospinal fluid.
This marks a significant step forward in slowing down or even halting the progress of the disorder.
Although the trial results have not been published or peer-reviewed, company officials are optimistic that they have made a significant breakthrough.
“What we see from our UB-312 program is the potential to change the whole conversation around Parkinson’s treatment and prevention,” says Vaxxinity’s co-founder and executive chair Lou Reese.
“Our findings suggest UB-312 could transform Parkinson’s care, offering hope for improved outcomes with a disease-modifying treatment. The future isn’t decades away: today’s Parkinson’s patients may have hope for the near, not distant future.”
Parkinson’s disease is a condition that affects the nervous system and causes rigidity, tremors, and slow movement.
It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, with almost a million people diagnosed with it in the US. This number is expected to increase by 200,000 by the end of the decade.
The symptoms of this disease include rigidity, tremors, and slow movements as well.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be attributed to the death of important nerve cells located near the brain stem. These cells are indirectly involved in fine motor control.
While the exact causes of this degeneration are not yet fully understood, studies over the past 25 years have strongly suggested that a protein called α-syn plays a critical role in the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
While potential genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s, α-syn is believed to be a key factor in the disease’s progression.
The protein produced to regulate communication between neurons can become dangerous when it accumulates in insoluble clumps. These clumps can damage important components such as mitochondria, disrupting the cell’s natural balance.
Vaxxinity has developed a new therapy that uses antibodies to target these toxic clumps while leaving dissolved proteins alone. A clinical trial involving 50 healthy volunteers conducted a few years ago showed that the procedure is generally safe, with mild side effects.
Science Alert notes that “In this latest randomized, double-blind trial on 20 patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the antibodies were shown to bind exclusively to aggregated forms of α-syn. Analysis of the spinal fluid of those given UB-312 revealed a 20 percent drop in their usual α-syn aggregate levels, compared with a 3 percent decline in those who received a placebo.”
