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A new treatment for Parkinson's Disease
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Austrian scientists have begun testing a new miracle vaccine. Parkinsonism is considered the most common disease in the world among the elderly, and both men and women suffer from it equally. Although the first signs may appear at 40 years of age or even earlier, as, for example, in the case of boxer Muhammad Ali. The main manifestation is tremors and involuntary movements of the arms and legs, which are caused by the death of neurons in the brain in certain areas.
The causes of this disease are not fully known - these include atherosclerosis of the brain vessels and injuries. The main version is special genetic defects that make themselves known under certain circumstances. Until recently, this disease was treated mainly symptomatically - with neurological drugs and means for improving cerebral circulation. But just the other day, Austrian scientists began clinical trials on people of the world's first vaccine against Parkinsonism. This is already the final stage of research, which means that animal trials have already been successful.
The experimental drug PD01A was developed by the Austrian biotech company AFFiRiS, Medical News Today reports. The target of the vaccine is the protein alpha-synuclein, which is associated with mutations in certain genes involved in the development of Parkinson's disease. The introduction of the vaccine is designed to stimulate the production of antibodies to this protein.
Thirty-two patients with Parkinson's disease were selected to participate in the first phase of clinical trials. During the first stage of the research, specialists will check the safety of the vaccine for the human body and its tolerability. If everything goes well, then within the next five years they may give the "green light" for mass production and use of the vaccine.
The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease:
1. Stiffness and slowness of movement usually begin in the right half of the body, and then, after some time, gradually affect the other side.
2. Tension of all muscles - increased tone. It is involuntary and over time the patient's arms and legs gradually bend, the back slouches. Neurologists call this position "the supplicant's pose".
3. The gait becomes shuffling and mincing. The person's center of gravity shifts, he loses his balance and even falls.
4. When the patient is not moving, his hands and chin tremble noticeably, but during movement no tremor is observed.
5. The patient has a “frozen” face and rarely blinks.
6. Although intelligence is preserved, thinking and attention are slowed.
7. Concomitant disorders include: decreased sense of smell, constipation, and urination disorders.
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