{"title":"Revamping Parkinson’s disease therapy using PLGA-based drug delivery systems","authors":"Jude Majed Lababidi, Hassan Mohamed El-Said Azzazy","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01081-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01081-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Parkinson’s Disease (PD) involves degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons, mitochondrial dysfunction, alpha-synuclein aggregation, neuroinflammation, and gut-brain axis disturbances. Despite the availability of pharmacological treatments, these interventions fail to prevent disease progression due to their limited ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and systemic side effects. Phytochemicals, known for their antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, offer a complementary approach to PD treatment. However, their therapeutic potential is limited by rapid metabolism and poor bioavailability. Several nanoparticles were suggested to enhance the stability and bioavailability of therapeutic agents while enabling controlled release and improved BBB penetration. This review is focused on the use of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based nanosystem as advanced drug delivery carriers for PD due to its versatility, safety, biodegradability, and extensive studies which evaluated the use of PLGA for drug delivery. It also evaluates their use for encapsulating pharmacological drugs such as dopamine agonists, dopamine precursors, COMT inhibitors, and MAO-B inhibitors, addressing the limitations of conventional therapies. Additionally, the review highlights the utility of PLGA nanoparticles in delivering phytochemicals with neuroprotective effects such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and coumarins to overcome challenges associated with their solubility and stability and ultimately enhance their activities for managing PD.</p><figure></figure>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144899397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spontaneous eye blink-based machine learning for tracking clinical fluctuations in Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Noriko Nishikawa, Shin Tejima, Daiki Kamiyama, Mitsumasa Kurita, Koshi Yamamoto, Satoki Imai, Wataru Sako, Genko Oyama, Taku Hatano, Nobutaka Hattori","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01094-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-025-01094-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this uncontrolled, open-label exploratory clinical study, the authors explore the potential of blink data as a digital biomarker for estimating clinical indices of Parkinson's disease (PD) using a machine learning approach. Blink data were collected from 20 patients with PD before and after (up to 4 h) L-dopa/decarboxylase inhibitor administration. Concurrent assessments of patient diary-based ON/OFF and dyskinesia, L-dopa plasma concentration, and MDS-UPDRS Part III scores were conducted at 30 min intervals. The models were developed to predict clinical symptoms based on blink data collected at 3 min intervals. The most effective post-processing models accurately predicted the ON/OFF states (mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC<sub>ROC</sub>) = 0.87) and the presence of dyskinesia (mean AUC<sub>ROC</sub> = 0.84). They also moderately predicted MDS-UPDRS Part III scores (mean Spearman's correlation ρ = 0.54) and plasma L-dopa concentrations (ρ = 0.57). Our findings highlight the potential of the spontaneous eye blink as a noninvasive, real-time digital biomarker for PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"11 1","pages":"247"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12361378/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144874476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haiying Zhang, Yang Zhao, Yi Chen, Yuanyuan Feng, Bo Shen, Shuangshuang Dong, Jun Zhu, Xu Jiang, Dongfeng Li, Yaning Chen, Feng Han, Li Zhang
{"title":"Association of the number of minor hallucinations and well-structured visual hallucinations in Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Haiying Zhang, Yang Zhao, Yi Chen, Yuanyuan Feng, Bo Shen, Shuangshuang Dong, Jun Zhu, Xu Jiang, Dongfeng Li, Yaning Chen, Feng Han, Li Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01106-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-025-01106-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Minor hallucinations (MH), comprising three subtypes (presence hallucinations, passage hallucinations, and visual illusions), typically emerge during the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) and precede the onset of well-structured visual hallucinations (VH). Whether the number of MH is associated with VH in PD patients remains unclear. We investigated the association between the number of MH and VH in 372 PD patients. Log-binomial regressions showed that individuals with multiple MH had a significantly higher prevalence of VH (RR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.11-3.90 for 2 MH; RR = 6.20, 95% CI: 3.40-11.31 for 3 MH), while those with only one MH had a similar VH prevalence compared to those without MH (RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.53-2.21). Women exhibited stronger associations than men. These findings emphasize the importance of quantifying MH subtypes when assessing hallucinations, though their potential utility as predictive markers of disease progression and targets for early intervention requires validation through longitudinal studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"11 1","pages":"244"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12361504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144874473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaitai Yang, Ruitian Zeng, Yiling Zheng, Siqi Zhong, Jiani Wang, Xinxi Yu, Huilin Zhong, Xuanjie Chen, Yisen Shi, Fabin Lin, Qinyong Ye, Ning Sun, Guoen Cai
{"title":"Associations of digestive diseases exposure and lifestyle factors with Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Kaitai Yang, Ruitian Zeng, Yiling Zheng, Siqi Zhong, Jiani Wang, Xinxi Yu, Huilin Zhong, Xuanjie Chen, Yisen Shi, Fabin Lin, Qinyong Ye, Ning Sun, Guoen Cai","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01098-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-025-01098-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging evidence highlights the importance of gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). While inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been linked to PD, the association with other GI conditions remains unclear. This study analyzed data from 501,483 participants, including 907 PD cases. Cox models revealed that digestive diseases were significantly associated with an increased PD risk (HR = 1.43). Eleven digestive diseases were linked to PD, with lifestyle factors such as sleep patterns and diet reducing PD risk. Notably, interactions between Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and sleep (P-int = 0.0119), and Crohn's disease and dietary diversity (P-int = 0.0081) were observed. Population attributable fraction (PAF) analysis indicated that eliminating exposure to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis and duodenitis, and gallbladder and biliary diseases could reduce PD cases by approximately 8.9%, 7.9%, and 3.8%, respectively. These findings emphasize the role of digestive diseases and lifestyle in PD risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"11 1","pages":"245"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12361381/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144874474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MacKenzie L Bolen, Kelly B Menees, Aidan C Dupreez, Malú Gámez Tansey
{"title":"Iron mishandling in the brain and periphery in Parkinson's disease.","authors":"MacKenzie L Bolen, Kelly B Menees, Aidan C Dupreez, Malú Gámez Tansey","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01089-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-025-01089-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The heterogeneous prodromal phase of Parkinson's disease (PD) has made identifying catalysts that drive disease progression critical for effective development of disease-modifying therapies. Recently, the role of gastrointestinal dysfunction in inflammation that drives neurodegenerative risk has gained attention as a target for intervention. However, to date, there have been no clear internal or environmental catalysts identified in the gut that drive risk for PD. Here, we review the literature on iron dysregulation in the brain, blood, and gut in PD and propose that iron dysregulation outside the brain is an important catalyst that may represent a prodromal mechanistic link in gut-first PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"11 1","pages":"246"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12361475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144874475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Increased frontal [123I]FP-CIT binding in Parkinson's disease patients with self-reported REM sleep behavior disorder.","authors":"Elina Jaakkola,Jani Ijas,Juho Joutsa,Tero Vahlberg,Elina Myller,Mikael Eklund,Simo Nuuttila,Kirsi Murtomäki,Tuomas Mertsalmi,Reeta Levo,Tommi Noponen,Toni Ihalainen,Filip Scheperjans,Valtteri Kaasinen","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01116-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01116-7","url":null,"abstract":"Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a frequent non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and a potential early marker of synucleinopathy-related neurodegeneration. While striatal dopaminergic dysfunction in PD-RBD has been extensively studied, the role of extrastriatal monoaminergic alterations -particularly those involving serotonin - remains poorly understood. In this study, 155 PD patients underwent [123I]FP-CIT SPECT imaging to assess striatal and extrastriatal tracer binding, reflecting dopaminergic and broader monoaminergic function, respectively. Probable RBD was identified using a validated single-question screening tool with high sensitivity and specificity. Patients with probable RBD (RBD + , n = 44) were compared to those without (RBD - , n = 111) using voxel-wise and region-of-interest analyses, controlling for age, sex, disease duration, motor and non-motor symptom severity, and cognitive function. No significant differences were observed in striatal dopamine transporter binding. However, RBD+ patients showed significantly higher extrastriatal binding in the prefrontal cortex (pFWE < 0.05), suggesting a potential role for altered extrastriatal monoaminergic neurotransmission, possibly involving serotonergic pathways, in PD-RBD pathophysiology. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the non-selective binding profile of the radiotracer.","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"24 1","pages":"243"},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144850935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gennaro Pagano, Dylan Trundell, Tanya Simuni, Nicola Pavese, Kenneth Marek, Ronald B Postuma, Nima Shariati, Annabelle Monnet, Emma Moore, Evan W Davies, Hanno Svoboda, Nathalie Pross, Azad Bonni, Tania Nikolcheva
{"title":"Author Correction: Time-to-event analysis mitigates the impact of symptomatic therapy on therapeutic benefit in Parkinson's disease trials.","authors":"Gennaro Pagano, Dylan Trundell, Tanya Simuni, Nicola Pavese, Kenneth Marek, Ronald B Postuma, Nima Shariati, Annabelle Monnet, Emma Moore, Evan W Davies, Hanno Svoboda, Nathalie Pross, Azad Bonni, Tania Nikolcheva","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01103-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41531-025-01103-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"11 1","pages":"241"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12350808/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144848212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Huimin Cao, Yuying Zhao, Ziyi Chen, Xiaoya Zou, Xinyi Du, Li Yi, Yu Ai, Hongzhou Zuo, Oumei Cheng
{"title":"Triglyceride-glucose index predicts cognitive decline and striatal dopamine deficiency in Parkinson disease in two cohorts","authors":"Huimin Cao, Yuying Zhao, Ziyi Chen, Xiaoya Zou, Xinyi Du, Li Yi, Yu Ai, Hongzhou Zuo, Oumei Cheng","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01100-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01100-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Heterogeneity is an important feature of cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with emerging evidence linking insulin resistance to accelerated cognitive decline. Our investigation examined the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index-a marker of insulin resistance-and cognition and striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) alterations in PD through cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. In the primary cohort, higher TyG correlated with lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and increased dementia risk (<i>p</i> = 0.014). Longitudinal analysis in the PPMI cohort showed higher baseline TyG predicted greater Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) decline (<i>p</i> = 0.019) and reduced DAT activity in caudate (<i>p</i> = 0.033) and putamen (<i>p</i> = 0.019) over 4 years.DAT activity in the caudate mediated 24.1% of the TyG index’s longitudinal effect on MoCA scores, while the TyG index mediated 16.9% of CSF GLP-1R’s effect. These results highlight the TyG index as a potential biomarker for identifying PD patients at higher risk of cognitive impairment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144825479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early synaptic changes and reduced brain connectivity in PD-like mice with depressive phenotype","authors":"Lluis Miquel-Rio, Judith Jericó-Escolar, Unai Sarriés-Serrano, Claudia Yanes-Castilla, María Torres-López, Uxia Argibay, Verónica Paz, Carme Casal, Emma Muñoz-Moreno, Xavier López-Gil, Analia Bortolozzi","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01073-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01073-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anxiety and depression are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), affecting quality of life. Aggregates of α-synuclein (α-Syn) are found in serotonergic (5-HT) raphe nuclei early in the disease, but their relationship to brain changes is unclear. We investigated synaptic plasticity, neuronal activity, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-based brain connectivity in a PD-like mouse model with depressive phenotype. AAV-induced human α-Syn accumulation in raphe 5-HT neurons causes progressive synaptic pathology in interconnected brain regions. This is marked by lower MAP-2, PSD95 and higher SV2A, VAMP2, which are key to synaptic structure and function, as confirmed in human brain tissue samples. Abnormalities in Egr-1-dependent neuronal activity and region-specific differences in resting-state functional brain activity were also detected eight weeks post-AAV infusion, before neurodegeneration. This provides evidence for synaptic and fMRI markers associated with α-Syn pathology in emotional brain circuits, and has translational importance for identifying PD patients at risk for depression.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aarushi S. Negi, Shreesh Karjagi, Laura Parisi, Kerry W. Daley, Annie K. Abay, Aryaman S. Gala, Kevin B. Wilkins, Shannon L. Hoffman, Margaret S. Ferris, Hengameh Zahed, Gaurav M. Chattree, Bianca Palushaj, Helen M. Bronte-Stewart
{"title":"Remote real time digital monitoring fills a critical gap in the management of Parkinson’s disease","authors":"Aarushi S. Negi, Shreesh Karjagi, Laura Parisi, Kerry W. Daley, Annie K. Abay, Aryaman S. Gala, Kevin B. Wilkins, Shannon L. Hoffman, Margaret S. Ferris, Hengameh Zahed, Gaurav M. Chattree, Bianca Palushaj, Helen M. Bronte-Stewart","doi":"10.1038/s41531-025-01101-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-025-01101-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>People with Parkinson’s disease (PWP) face significant gaps in care. Limited neurologist access, infrequent clinic visits, and inadequate symptom measurement culminate in suboptimal therapy and high morbidity. Quantitative Digitography (QDG) provides validated, digital metrics of the three cardinal motor signs in Parkinson’s disease (PD) in real-time from 30 seconds of a mobility task on a digitography device and can be used remotely or in clinical settings. This study demonstrates the feasibility and clinical relevance of 30-day remote QDG monitoring. Participants showed excellent compliance and found the system easy to use. The QDG Mobility Score demonstrated meaningful correlation with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), captured motor complexities across a broad PD duration, and tracked motor changes from small therapy adjustments. QDG offers providers and PWP an accessible, objective, and real-time tool to remotely monitor motor symptoms, optimize treatment, and address care gaps created by infrequent clinic visits and subjective symptom assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19706,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Parkinson's Disease","volume":"170 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144819216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}