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Neurosciences
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers are studying whether low-dose radiation therapy can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease by targeting inflammation in areas of the brain affected by the disease.
The clinical trial is the first to investigate low-dose radiation as an anti-inflammatory approach in patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease.
Radiation therapy is most often used to treat cancer, where higher doses are used to damage tumor cells and stop them from growing. In this clinical trial, researchers are taking a very different approach. They are studying whether much lower, targeted doses of radiation can lower inflammation.
“Inflammation is believed to play an important role in the disease process in Parkinson’s,” says Yasamin Sharifzadeh, M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist and principal investigator of the clinical trial. “Instead of treating the symptoms patients experience, we’re investigating whether low-dose radiation can affect one of the underlying biological processes associated with the disease and therefore slow the worsening of symptoms.”
Why researchers are studying inflammation in Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time. It can cause slowed movement, tremors, muscle stiffness, and problems with balance and posture. Patients also can experience cognitive changes, fatigue, depression and anxiety. The disease is associated with the gradual loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement, and the buildup of abnormal proteins in and around brain cells.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Treatments focus on managing symptoms with medications and, for some patients, procedures such as focused ultrasound or deep brain stimulation. Researchers continue to study the causes of Parkinson’s disease and what drives its progression.
“Parkinson’s disease is not a single uniform condition but rather a collection of related disease subtypes that may differ biologically,” says Rodolfo Savica, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and study investigator. “This diversity complicates the search for a universal treatment, but despite this complication, inflammation appears to play a meaningful role across many forms of the disease.”
How the low-dose radiation clinical trial works
In the trial, researchers deliver low-dose radiation to small, carefully targeted areas of the brain believed to be involved in the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease. The treatment is limited to specific areas rather than exposing the entire brain to radiation.
“This is very different from using radiation to damage or destroy tissue,” explains Dr. Sharifzadeh. “We’re using a much lower dose. The goal is not to destroy brain tissue but to investigate whether radiation can reduce inflammatory processes in specific parts of the brain.”
Before treatment, researchers use brain imaging to map each participant’s anatomy and plan where to deliver the radiation. They also collect blood samples to measure biomarkers and assess participants’ physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms.
Participants receive one low-dose radiation treatment a day for five consecutive days. Each treatment lasts about 10 to 15 minutes.
Researchers evaluate changes in inflammatory biomarkers and protein accumulation at six hours after treatment and again at three, six and 12 months. They also use imaging to assess dopamine loss and track participants’ physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms throughout the study.
The study includes patients ages 45 to 75 with early-stage Parkinson’s disease that is not associated with a known genetic cause. Researchers plan to enroll 20 participants. The clinical trial is available by invitation only at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
“Parkinson’s disease is multifaceted, and there is still much we are learning about the role inflammation plays in the disease,” says Dr. Sharifzadeh. “The findings could help determine whether this approach should be studied further and add to our understanding of the foundational biological mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease.”
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