A new “molecular switch” for inborn immunity identified
Peer-Reviewed Publication
This month, we’re spotlighting Parkinson’s disease research in recognition of Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Here, we’ll share the latest research on Parkinson’s disease, how scientists are working to better understand its causes and progression, advances in treatment and care, and more.
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Apr-2026 19:16 ET (20-Apr-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown signalling cascade that determines how powerful our innate immune system responds to virus infections. This discovery has broad implications for inflammatory diseases, cancer, and neurodegeneration / publication in ’Nature Cell Biology‘
A new study shows how dysfunctional packaging of the neurotransmitter dopamine triggers toxic processes in neurons – and how this can be repaired with simple delivery of energy (ATP).
A new study of smokers finds that currently smoking is associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, but quitting smoking was associated with a lower risk of death. The study was published on February 25, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that smoking prevents Parkinson’s; it only shows an association.
A novel method to manipulate the inner structure of cells connects several scientific fields and could represent a significant step in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
For people living with Parkinson’s disease, there has been a gap between laboratory research and real-world behavior that has limited efforts to improve gait symptoms outside of the clinic. Now, researchers from UC San Francisco have taken an important step toward closing that gap by successfully moving the laboratory into the living room. In a new study published February 13 in Science Advances, the team demonstrated that brain activity recorded from fully implanted devices while patients are at home can be used to reliably determine whether a person is walking or not. By analyzing synchronized neural and movement data collected during more than 80 hours of unsupervised daily activity, researchers identified individualized patterns of brain activity associated with walking. These neural signatures allowed an implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) device to classify movement states using signals generated during natural, at-home activities.
Weight loss is common in Parkinson’s disease, but its biological basis has been unclear. Researchers at Fujita Health University show that this loss reflects reduced body fat, not muscle, along with a shift in energy metabolism. Patients exhibited impaired carbohydrate metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased fat breakdown with ketone body production. These changes were most pronounced in thinner patients and those with more advanced disease, revealing a hidden energy crisis in Parkinson’s disease.