Over 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with chronic brain disease or disorder, many of them being Alzheimer’s, Strokes, or Parkinson’s. With an aging population in the United States, these figures will increase even more in the coming years and acquire long-term care as well as support for family caregivers. Many diseases affecting the brain are progressive and develop further with age. A recent report released by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics states that 35.8% of those 85 or older have moderate or severe memory impairment. Therefore, clinical research for brain disorders is even more essential in order to make the process of finding and improving treatment methods and increase the quality of life.
Today, we are looking into two of the most recent developments in different medical research studies that work towards finding new treatments for different brain disorders.
Breakthroughs in Parkinson research
According to the Parkinson Foundation, a new study shows that by 2030, around 1.2 million Americans are estimated to be living with Parkinson’s disease. When looking at the current developments in clinical research, there are currently around 300 active and recruiting research studies in the United States trying to find new treatments and solutions for Parkinson’s.
New research developments have now arrived at the beginning of 2020, when Finnish researchers had announced, that they were working to improve the properties of BT13, a small molecule that is able to ‘cross the blood-brain barrier - and therefore could be more easily administered as a treatment if shown to be beneficial in further clinical trials’.
This development is a breakthrough as in the past, the experimental treatment GDNF for Parkinson’s discovered in the early 1990s had shown to bring dying brain cells back to life, however, the protein required complex surgery and was not able to cross the blood-brain barrier by itself. With the ability to cross this barrier, millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease would benefit from making the BT13 molecule more effective as a potential treatment in future clinical trials.
New developments in Huntington’s research
Huntington’s disease is a genetic condition causing a progressive breakdown of nerve cells in your brain. People living with this disease are slowly losing their physical and mental abilities, mostly during their prime working years. So far, there are around 40,000 Americans living with the disorder, and over 200,000 are at-risk of inheriting the condition. To this day, there is no cure for Huntington’s disease.
A recent clinical study is now bringing slight hope to many patients living with the disease. The clinical trial, which started in early 2019, has enrolled over 800 patients around the world in a final-stage trial of a drug (RO7234292) designed to slow down, or even stop, the progression of the disease. Even though this drug would not be a cure, “it’s the first time a therapy aimed at the actual root of Huntington’s has reached this far in its development odyssey.” The research study is bound to conclude in early 2022.
Do you want to be part of medical history?
Looking at developments and breakthroughs in medical research over the past couple of years shows how essential clinical trials are to drive innovation in medicine. The developments of new treatments and drugs are only possible through thousands of volunteers that want to make a difference for their health community. This is why medical research needs you. Do you want to learn more about clinical trials and how you can sign up? Read more here.
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