KI investigates new treatment for Parkinson’s disease
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet (KI), in collaboration with Umecrine Cognition AB, have been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation to explore a promising new treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder typically characterised by impaired motor behaviour. In addition to this cardinal symptom, PD patients are affected by non-motor comorbidities, including debilitating sleep disturbances.
These ailments are in large part refractory to anti-parkinsonian medications, prompting the search for more effective therapeutic interventions. A new research project at KI aims to provide a solution to this need.
Novel drug candidate
The project, led by Professor Gilberto Fisone, Head of the Department of Neuroscience at KI, and by Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Magnus Doverskog, Umecrine Cognition’s Chief Scientific Officer, will investigate the effects of golexanolone, a novel drug candidate for the treatment of PD.
A mouse model of sleep disturbances recently validated by Gilberto Fisone’s research group, will be utilized to test the ability of golexanolone to counteract excessive daytime sleepiness, which is one of the most frequent sleep disorders observed in Parkinsonian patients.
Up to 80 percent of patients with PD suffer from sleep disturbances, leading to social dysfunction and reduced quality of life, explains the principal investigator.
“Despite their high prevalence, these conditions are still poorly understood and there are yet no satisfactory drug treatments. We are therefore very excited to investigate golexanolone thanks to our collaboration with Umecrine Cognition, and grateful to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for giving us a unique opportunity to realize this highly translational project,” says Gilberto Fisone.