We’re investing in drugs that reduce harmful inflammation. But what is inflammation and why could stopping it provide a vital new treatment? — What is inflammation? Inflammation is a process that is vital for defending the body against harm from things like infections, injuries, and toxins. When something damages our cells, they release tiny messenger proteins to alert the immune system that something is wrong.

Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest growing neurological condition, with 12 million projected to be living with it by 2040. But what is going wrong inside the brain and how can we stop it? — Parkinson’s develops when cells in a particular part of the brain — called the substantia nigra — stop working properly and are lost over time. These brain cells produce a chemical called dopamine and play a central role in coordinating movement.

In this blog, we dispel some common myths about clinical trials and highlight Parkinson’s studies that are actively seeking people to take part today. — Clinical trials are scientific studies that involve people. This kind of research is vital. It helps us learn more about how our bodies work, what goes wrong in conditions like Parkinson’s, and to road test potentially life-changing new treatments and therapies.

Research sheds important new light on how the production of a key protein called tau is controlled. Understanding this important mechanism which helps fine-tune the production of this protein, could pave the way for new treatments for a wide range of neurological conditions. — In this blog we hear from scientists Professor Rohan de Silva and Dr Roberto Simone from University College London who led this important work and explain how these discoveries may lead to important new treatments for Parkinson’s.

Digital health technologies could be key to the search for treatments that can slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. We find out how the Parkinson’s community is working together to develop digital tools to use in clinical trials. — Parkinson’s is a progressive condition. Brain cells get damaged slowly over time, and this leads to gradually worsening symptoms that get harder to manage with current treatments.

Parkinson’s affects people of all ethnicities and races, but we know that people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds are particularly underrepresented in research. To deliver better treatments and care for everyone, we urgently need this to change. — We want Parkinson’s research in the UK to be inclusive and representative of everyone living with the condition. This matters because some populations may have very different experiences of the condition and respond differently to therapies.

Quick summary: Researchers have developed a pioneering new technique that can identify Parkinson’s based on ‘smelly’ chemicals known as ‘volatiles’ found on the surface of the skin. This research was inspired by one woman’s amazing ability to smell Parkinson’s. This research could lead to a test to help diagnose Parkinson’s accurately, speedily…

We catch up with Dr Heather Mortiboys from the University of Sheffield to hear all about her exciting Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech project which aims to create new drugs that can rescue failing mitochondria. — Parkinson’s UK is investing up to £1.2 million into a pioneering one-year project in partnership with the University of Sheffield. The project aims to take important steps towards creating a drug that can protect dopamine-producing brain cells and slow down the progression of Parkinson’s.

Further evidence emerges to suggest that terazosin — a drug currently used to treat enlarged prostate — may have the potential to slow or stop Parkinson’s. We take a look at the story so far and the next steps. — Terazosin is a medication used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate and sometimes high blood pressure. It has been in use since 1985 and importantly the patent (or sole rights to sell the drug) has expired which means that it is very affordable.