2022 research moments

It has been a challenging year for a lot of people and we know that this is set to continue. So before we move on to looking at the stand out moments for research this year, we want to say we’re here for you. Whether you’re worried about money or need help managing your Parkinson’s, you’re not alone. We’re here to help you find the right support.

• Get free, confidential support through our adviser service. Call us for free on 0808 800 0303.
• Find information about money, grants and benefits.
• Get help and advice from the Parkinson’s community on our forum.
• Discover practical tips, stories and advice, including support with energy bills, in our online magazine.

Research that hit the headlines this year

In a year that saw 2 ITV programmes feature Parkinson’s, the crime drama The Suspect and the documentary by Jeremy Paxman, Parkinson’s seems to be getting more air time in the media. Not only helping people to better understand the condition but also helping to communicate a flurry of research news.

Watch The Suspect on ITVX.

Watch Paxman: Putting up with Parkinson's on ITVX.

Getting closer to a diagnostic test for Parkinson’s

Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a test which could help diagnose Parkinson’s in 3 minutes using a simple skin swab. This could help definitively diagnose Parkinson’s sooner, to not only impact those who are yet to be diagnosed with the condition, but to set research up to have a better chance of finding new treatments for the condition. The test now needs to be developed to study its accuracy and potential in a larger group of people.

Read the news and about its origins from a lady who can smell Parkinson’s.

Read more about the importance of diagnosing Parkinson's earlier on our blog.

Understanding how a hormone produced during exercise might help to slow down Parkinson’s

Back in September, results from a US study showed that a hormone called irisin has the potential to stop the progression of Parkinson’s in mice. The results of this study are significant because, although we know that physical activity and exercise are beneficial for people with Parkinson’s, it’s currently unclear how this impacts the cells and processes in the brain that contribute to symptoms of the condition. This study sheds some light on how a hormone produced during exercise might be acting to protect vital brain cells from dying in Parkinson’s.

The researchers found that irisin could prevent the build-up of a troublesome protein called alpha-synuclein, often associated with Parkinson’s. This allows mice to move more easily.

Now the researchers hope to find a way to take the research beyond the lab.

Read more about the research into irisin.

Taking an important step in stem cell research for Parkinson’s

An international clinical trial looking at using stem cells to treat Parkinson’s has been granted approval to go ahead. This will initially happen in Sweden, with plans to extend this to Cambridge University Hospital here in the UK.

Stem cells hold potential as a treatment option for Parkinson’s, as they have the ability to develop into different types of specialised cells, such as skin, muscle or brain cells.

In this study, known as STEM-PD, the research team hopes to investigate whether stem cells can be used to replace the dopamine-producing cells which are lost when someone has Parkinson’s. They’ll do this by turning stem cells into dopamine producing brain cells and putting them directly into the brain tissue of people with Parkinson’s via an injection.

Read more about the news about STEM-PD and the next steps.

Taking steps towards a future GDNF trial

Work continues to find a way to help progress investigations of a growth factor called GDNF. This stands for glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor. It’s a naturally-occurring protein that is produced inside the brain. It supports the survival of many types of brain cells, including the cells lost in Parkinson’s.

You may have already heard about this research, as we were the major funder of a pioneering trial that tested whether boosting levels of this restorative protein could slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinson’s. In February 2019, we got the results. They were inconclusive, but there were some signs that the treatment may have started to regenerate participants’ dopamine-producing brain cells.

In 2021, we announced that we would be investing up to £800,000 into Vivifi Biotech, a new company set up specifically to bring the focus and expertise needed to see if it was possible to plan and progress towards a new GDNF trial.

We are now in the last phase of work: seeking out partners to move GDNF towards another clinical trial.

Find out more about the update on the GDNF trial.

Strengthening a global movement to accelerate research

More headlines were created as we saw one of the most successful years yet for uniting scientists, supporters, investors and innovators worldwide to accelerate research for the Parkinson’s community. A move to get results faster by collaborating, not competing, through the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech.

Collaborating not competing

This year marks 5 years since Parkinson’s UK set up the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech. A bold and innovative way to invest in drug discovery and development, driven by the needs of people with Parkinson’s, to progress promising research to a stage where it’s attractive to larger investors.

It’s now a global movement. Like-minded partners such as the Parkinson’s Foundation have come on board to invest in research towards delivering new treatments in years and not decades.

We are beginning to see proof that this method works. We have helped to plant and grow the seeds. A project that we have been supporting through this initiative since 2019 has recently attracted a large external investment of £16m to get a drug that has the potential to slow the progression of Parkinson’s closer to clinical trials.

Read more about the £16m investment in this project.

Investing in and funding research across the UK and beyond

Through the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, we are supporting projects that are looking to find new molecules to develop into drugs that have the potential to slow or stop Parkinson’s. We’re also supporting 5 clinical trials looking to better manage symptoms of Parkinson’s or target some of the earliest signs of the condition.

These are all happening in partnership with organisations from across the globe. Partnering with universities in the UK, we’re testing whether CBD (cannabidiol) can treat psychosis in Parkinson’s. And whether the common anti-sickness drug ondansetron can reduce distressing hallucinations.

This year we announced 2 new international collaborations. The first with a company in the US looking at whether the drug ENT-01 has potential to treat Parkinson’s dementia. The second and with an Australian biotech company looking at whether PXS-4728 can relieve Parkinson’s-like symptoms and target inflammation to slow the onset of the condition.

Another international collaboration sees us testing whether the drug NLX-112 can reduce dyskinesia (involuntary movements) in people with Parkinson’s.

As well as this, we continue to award grants to research projects. This year we awarded just under £2m to researchers across the country, from Glasgow to Plymouth and Cardiff to Newcastle. Our portfolio of projects include finding ways to improve wellbeing, overcoming freezing and understanding the root causes of the condition.

Find the full range of research we are currently funding here.

Research can’t progress without the Parkinson’s community

In 2022, the Parkinson's UK research community:

• welcomed 50 new volunteers, taking the total to 440
• shaped nearly 50 projects through the PPI contributor network
• delivered 20 events organised by Research Interest Groups
• held the first event in a series for Race Equality in Research
• supported 55 requests for research participants. 

This year saw a few large clinical trials struggling to recruit participants due to delays that were still apparent from the coronavirus lockdowns. But the Parkinson’s community responded to our call out and came forward to take part in research. Read more and find out which studies still need people to trial new treatments.

We’ve supported 55 ongoing studies and helped 34 studies complete their recruitment, with 12 of them being oversubscribed! Each one adds to our knowledge of Parkinson’s and gets us closer to better treatments and a cure.

We still have nearly 40 studies looking for people with and without Parkinson’s to take part. Search through these research opportunities on our Take Part Hub.

Our 12 Research Interest Groups (RIGs) have delivered over 20 research events this year, both in person and online.

The Parkinson’s community is at the heart of what we do

We’ve supported the Parkinson’s community and researchers to work in partnership to shape nearly 50 research projects. The Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) contributor network and wider Parkinson’s community have helped to identify important research questions, contributed to the design of research studies, improved how research is communicated and more. This is vital to ensure that research is relevant and meaningful for the Parkinson’s community.

There have been some powerful examples of people guiding research and raising the profile for more work to be done in specific areas. People with Parkinson’s have been co-authors on research papers highlighting some of the early symptoms of Parkinson’s, or gaps in research when it comes to women and Parkinson’s.

Pharmaceutical companies play an important role in the development of treatments and cures. The expertise of people living with Parkinson’s, and their loved ones, is crucial in this process to develop medicines that meet the needs of people with Parkinson’s. We continue to bring companies together with the Parkinson’s community and support them to work in partnership. For example, we’re making progress in our innovative partnership with pharma company UCB, the Parkinson’s Foundation and people with Parkinson’s to embed involvement throughout UCB’s Parkinson’s research.

Race equality in research

We’ve also supported people with Parkinson’s as co-creators of important events looking at taking action towards race equality in research. One event was held in Hounslow in partnership with Integrated Neurological Services, and was predominately for members of the South Asian community in the local area.

Of those who attended the event, 60% said they had never interacted with Parkinson’s UK before, with many noting that they had been inspired to take part in research or access Parkinson’s UK services after the event. One attendee described the event as ‘a game changer’.

We will continue to prioritise our work towards race equality in research in 2023, and hope to build on the success of this event with others in the new year.

Read about our plans for the Race Equality in Research project.

Our volunteers help make research meaningful and focused on the Parkinson’s community. This year, over 50 new volunteers have joined us to help shape and share research messages. We now have over 440 volunteers working with us to help accelerate research and spread the research word. 8 of these were recognised for their work during our 2022 Volunteering Awards.

Find out more about volunteering with Parkinson’s UK.

Looking ahead to 2023

2023 will see some big events that will help push forward the momentum towards better treatments and therapies for Parkinson’s. We look forward to the World Parkinson’s Congress in July next year. It’s a global event for the Parkinson’s community to discuss, learn and engage in debate around the latest scientific discoveries, medical and comprehensive care practices related to Parkinson’s. We’re also excited to be supporting the British Neuroscience Association (BNA) conference in Brighton in April for researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to come together to discuss the latest research.

Read about our involvement in the BNA International festival of Neuroscience.

Through our grants programme and the Virtual Biotech, we will keep investigating drugs that have the potential to slow or stop the condition, but also those that look at managing specific symptoms of the condition to improve the lives of people living with Parkinson’s now. Worldwide, we also look forward to new clinical trials with opportunities for people to take part. There are studies on the horizon ranging from investigating exercise to potential new drugs.

We will continue to share news and opportunities through our Research Support Network. We are also aiming to move this blog onto the Parkinson’s UK website, so please look out for communications!

Sign up to receive our regular emails through the Research Support Network.

Wishing you all a restful end to 2022 and a hopeful start to 2023.

The Research team at Parkinson’s UK.