Researchers trying to find the cause of Parkinson’s disease are placing much of the blame on a prodigious protein called alpha-synuclein. When too much of this protein clumps up in the brain cells that produce dopamine, a brain chemical that helps cells communicate with one another, those critical neurons die, and Parkinson’s results. Researchers don’t … Read more
Understanding the way proteins interact, with each other and within brain cells, is key to figuring out how Parkinson’s disease begins, and discovering ways to stop or prevent it. At the University of Guelph, Professor Vladimir Ladizhansky, a biophysicist, is interested in the way a protein called alpha-synuclein interacts with cell membranes. He’s using nuclear … Read more
Every September, people living with Parkinson’s and those who care about them, look forward to an annual event where participants can demonstrate their commitment to a world free of Parkinson’s. While this year SuperWalk looked significantly different in how it was executed, what didn’t change was that it reached from coast to coast, from the … Read more
Ending Parkinson’s Disease webinar Parkinson Canada is pleased to invite you to a conversation with the author of the book Ending Parkinson’s Disease. In this “must-read” book for anyone in the Parkinson Community, four leading doctors and advocates offer a bold action plan “the PACT” to prevent, care for, and treat Parkinson’s disease – one of … Read more
Parkinson Canada invites people living with Parkinson’s disease to join the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) to be part of the solution to improve lives for those living with Parkinson’s and ultimately to help discover a cure. To find out more about COPN, visit www.copn-rpco.com Read about one C-OPN participant in Quebec, Linda Bérard, diagnosed in … Read more
Join the many Canadians who are going the distance for Parkinson’s by contributing to a collective cycling goal of 100,000 kms across Canada. Ride on your own, or as part of Pedaling for Parkinson’s Ride Day in communities across Canada on August 29th. Contribute to the 100,000 km cycling goal from now until October 31st … Read more
Until now, most researchers studying Parkinson’s disease have used animal models or models derived from stem cells to investigate the cause of this neurodegenerative disease, and ways to treat or prevent it. Neither method, though, provides an accurate way of studying age as a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. That’s why Professor Janelle Drouin-Ouellet, a … Read more
Brain cells don’t just let any proteins through their membranes, but unfortunately, they make an exception for a toxic form of protein called alpha-synuclein that’s at the heart of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers know misshapen or mutated forms of alpha-synuclein form clumps and ultimately kill brain cells that produce dopamine. Dopamine is the signalling chemical that … Read more