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Fox Focus | Research Briefs
Research
Briefs
Looking for Inflammation in
Our Brains
Inflammation — the same biological
process that causes cuts on your skin to
swell and turn red before they heal — may
be a culprit in the onset and progression of
Parkinson’s. Research evidence is growing,
which means more potential therapies are
targeting inflammation to slow or even stop
the disease. The Michael J. Fox Foundation
(MJFF) is funding two research teams
— at King’s College London and Johns
Hopkins University — to develop ways to
image inflammation in the brain using PET
tracers. These PET tracers could be used to
select the right patients for trials of these
therapies and to see how well they reduce
inflammation in the brain.
Transportation to Trials Matters
A series of articles in the journal Applied
Clinical Trials features case studies written by
MJFF staff who work to increase recruitment
and retention in Parkinson’s clinical trials.
One article covered a Foundation-funded
project to test ways that transportation can
make a difference in research participation by
patients and families. Participants reported
that being offered rides through third-party
ride services made it easier for them to attend
trial visits. Some 90 percent agreed that they
would be more likely to participate in a future
study if transportation were provided. MJFF
is educating clinical trial teams of the value of
integrating practical solutions like this one as
pandemic-related restrictions begin to lift and
traditional clinical trials are resumed.
PPMI Sheds Light on Differences
in Parkinson’s
A recent study by PPMI investigators
compared data from Parkinson’s patients
with a genetic mutation in LRRK2 or GBA
to that of data from patients without an
identified genetic mutation. The investigators
found differences between different types
of mutation carriers and those without a
mutation in motor and non-motor symptoms.
Similar to previous research, this study
found that LRRK2 carriers had milder motor
symptoms than other groups but similar
non-motor symptoms. But results from
GBA carriers contradicted prior research,
which had found these patients had worse
symptoms than other groups. This was a
small study and further analysis is needed —
but learning more about disease profiles with
specific genetic mutations could help better
measure and predict disease course in the
future, as well as help select participants for
clinical studies.