Jul 17, 2026
April 30, 2026
By Tristan Horrom
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Research and Development - VA Research Communications
VA researchers have discovered a way to flush unwanted proteins and waste products from the brain by using inhaled puffs of specific amounts of carbon dioxide at set intervals, providing a low-impact, easy-to-administer breathing treatment for patients with neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease.
Led by Dr. Henry C. Lin, the New Mexico VA Health Care System team, which included Lin’s research mentees Drs. Sephira Ryman and Andrei Vakhtin, are currently working with VA’s Technology Transfer Program (TTP) to develop a prototype device that can be distributed to administer the breathing treatment for Veterans on a wide scale.
“It becomes a moment of tremendous hope,” said Dr. Lin on the potential of the new treatment, “because these are truly terrifying diseases with no solution right now. Imagine how wonderful it would be to have a new way to help these patients.”
Cases of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have increased exponentially in recent years, with millions of people in the United States having one of these conditions. A unifying feature of neurodegenerative conditions is the accumulation of unwanted proteins in the brain. For Alzheimer’s disease it is amyloid beta and Tau proteins, while for Parkinson’s disease it is alpha synuclein. Related conditions such as Lewy body dementia have a similar protein buildup.
Normally, the body can clear these proteins, which are often the waste products of neuron activity, using a natural process called glymphatic clearance, which takes place when our bodies enter deep sleep. During this process, the brain tells cerebral blood vessels to dilate and constrict, which allows the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain to flow deeper into the tissue as interstitial fluid. A cycle of blood vessel dilation and contraction pumps the interstitial fluid through the brain and then back out, flushing potentially harmful proteins, inflammatory mediators, and waste into the blood so the body can clear them out. This process takes place at night, when it will not impact more complex synaptic function, which is also when the brain’s neurons dump out their waste products. Indeed, many scientists believe glymphatic clearance is one of the reasons we need to sleep in the first place.
However, people with neurodegenerative conditions frequently have sleep disorders, while people with sleep disorders are at greater risk of neurodegenerative disorders. This vicious circle impairs the ability of the body to initiate glymphatic clearance.
Jul 16, 2026
24-week daily routine is designed to improve mobility, digestion, mental health
Written by Marisa Horak, MS | July 15, 2026
- A new yoga program for early Parkinson's disease is heading to a clinical trial.
- The 24-week routine is designed to improve mobility, balance, and motor symptoms.
- It also addresses nonmotor symptoms like digestion, anxiety, and mental well-being.
A newly developed yoga program designed specifically to improve mobility and mental well-being for people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease is heading to a clinical trial.
Developed by a trio of scientists, the customized program was recently detailed in the journal Annals of Neurosciences, under the article titled “Development and Validation of a Customised Yoga Therapy Module for People Living with Early Parkinsonism.”
While yoga is a centuries-old practice combining physical exercise with meditation, not all of its many modern styles are ideal for someone with a movement disorder. However, research shows that the right kind of yoga can ease stiffness, improve balance, and reduce anxiety and depression for those living with Parkinson’s.
Jul 15, 2026
Here are some ways to maintain, improve, and enhance communication
Written by Jamie Askari | July 14, 2026
When most people hear the words “Parkinson’s disease,” typically the first thing that comes to mind is tremors. Before my husband was diagnosed, I had the misconception that a person with Parkinson’s was always a cute older man with thinning gray hair and a shaky hand.
For my husband, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at age 38, tremors and shaking have never been an issue for him, other than as a side effect of his medications. His initial symptoms were slowness, stiffness, fatigue, an intention tremor, dystonia, and balance issues.
After he underwent deep brain stimulation surgery, we started noticing the onset of a new symptom: speech challenges. We’re not sure if this was due to Parkinson’s progression or if it was related to the surgery. We’ll probably never know.
Over time, his voice has become softer and weaker, often sounding hoarse or blurred. Additionally, he may also speak rapidly and with a stutter.
The lack of facial expression that he experiences is another characteristic of Parkinson’s disease. This facial masking may make it seem like he isn’t listening or engaged. Unless you are speaking about something terribly boring, he is probably interested; it just might not show on his face.
Additionally, it is common for individuals with Parkinson’s to lose their train of thought, which can make conversation a challenge for them.
Jul 14, 2026
Maybe one meaningful thing we can do is let our loved ones speak for themselves
Written by Crystal Onyema | June 24, 2026
As my late Uncle Brandon’s Parkinson’s disease progressed, my family became increasingly involved in helping him navigate appointments, medications, physical therapy, and everyday life.
But somewhere along the way, we started making mistakes. At times, we began talking about Uncle Brandon more than we talked to him. At first, it seemed harmless. When we attended doctor appointments or physical therapy sessions, healthcare providers would often direct questions toward us.
How was his gait? How were his tremors? How was his sleep? Was he eating well? How often was he exercising? How was his mobility around the house? Before long, one of us would jump in with an answer. After all, we spent a lot of time with him and wanted to be helpful. We knew his routines, his challenges, and the things he sometimes forgot to mention.
Meanwhile, Uncle Brandon would sit there looking less and less amused as everyone around him answered questions about his life for him. He didn’t always say anything, but the expression alone told us exactly what he was thinking.
Jul 13, 2026
Updated sasineprocel formulation makes it easier to manufacture, deliver
Written by Andrea Lobo | July 2, 2026
- Sasineprocel, a cell therapy for Parkinson's, uses patient's reprogrammed skin cells to replace lost dopamine neurons.
- A new "thaw-and-inject" formulation is being tested for easier manufacturing and delivery.
- Early trial data shows the therapy is safe and improves motor symptoms and daily functioning.
Aspen Neuroscience has expanded its ongoing Phase 1/2a clinical trial by dosing two new groups of Parkinson’s disease patients with sasineprocel (ANPD001). For the first time in the study, these participants received a new, commercial-ready formulation of the cell therapy designed to make future manufacturing and treatment delivery much easier to scale.
This formulation utilizes cryopreserved, “thaw-and-inject” cells that are ready for dosing at the clinical site.
The open-label ASPIRO study (NCT06344026) is testing the safety and tolerability of sasineprocel over one year in adults with moderate-to-severe Parkinson’s.
“We are proud to reach this important milestone, which reflects meaningful progress in the sasineprocel program and underscores the growing clinical experience with our personalized, autologous approach,” Damien McDevitt, PhD, Aspen’s president and CEO, said in a company press release. “Importantly, the use of our commercial formulation in these cohorts represents a critical step toward scalable manufacturing and commercial readiness as we prepare for Phase 3 initiation.”
Replacing lost dopamine neurons
Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, which are the nerve cells that produce dopamine, a brain signaling molecule involved in motor control. Impaired dopamine signaling in the brain leads to Parkinson’s symptoms, including slowed movements, rigidity, tremors, and balance issues.
Sasineprocel is an autologous cell therapy designed to replace these gradually lost dopaminergic neurons. The process begins by collecting skin cells from the patient, which are then reprogrammed in the lab into induced pluripotent stem cells.
These cells are then guided to develop into dopaminergic neuronal precursors, which are delivered to the patient via MRI-guided injection into the putamen, a brain region involved in Parkinson’s disease, where they’re expected to mature into functional dopaminergic neurons.
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