A Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson's disease (PADOVA): Rationale, design, and baseline data.

Introduction: Prasinezumab was shown to potentially delay motor progression in individuals with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) who were either treatment-naïve or on monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor (MAO-Bi) therapy in the PASADENA study. We report the rationale, design, and baseline patient characteristics of the PADOVA study, designed to evaluate prasinezumab in an early-stage PD population receiving standard-of-care (SOC) symptomatic medications.

Methods: PADOVA (NCT04777331) is a Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, in which individuals with early-stage PD on SOC stable symptomatic monotherapy (levodopa or MAO-Bi) receive intravenous prasinezumab 1500 mg every 4 weeks.

Modeling of Parkinson's Disease Progression and Implications for Detection of Disease Modification in Treatment Trials.

Background: Objectively measuring Parkinson's disease (PD) signs and symptoms over time is critical for the successful development of treatments aimed at halting the disease progression of people with PD.

Objective: To create a clinical trial simulation tool that characterizes the natural history of PD progression and enables a data-driven design of randomized controlled studies testing potential disease-modifying treatments (DMT) in early-stage PD.

Methods: Data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) were analyzed with nonlinear mixed-effect modeling techniques to characterize the progression of MDS-UPDRS part I (non-motor aspects of experiences of daily living), part II (motor aspects of experiences of daily living), and part III (motor signs).

YTHDC1 mA-dependent and mA-independent functions converge to preserve the DNA damage response.

Cells have evolved a robust and highly regulated DNA damage response to preserve their genomic integrity. Although increasing evidence highlights the relevance of RNA regulation, our understanding of its impact on a fully efficient DNA damage response remains limited. Here, through a targeted CRISPR-knockout screen, we identify RNA-binding proteins and modifiers that participate in the p53 response.

TLR2/4 are novel activating receptors for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on NK cells.

Background: In early infected or severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, circulating NK cells are consistently reduced, despite being highly activated or exhausted. The aim of this paper was to establish whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (SP) may directly trigger NK cells and through which receptor(s).

Methods: SP-stimulated human NK cells have been evaluated for the expression of activation markers, cytokine release, and cytotoxic activity, as well as for gene expression profiles and NF-kB phosphorylation, and they have been silenced with specific small interfering RNAs.