New grants fund research into sleep based therapies for Parkinson's

Two new research projects backed by The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson's UK are investigating whether targeted sleep therapies can clear toxic proteins and slow the progression of Parkinson's. Both studies partner with British biotechnology company AstronauTx to test novel compounds designed to restore specific sleep stages. The first project, funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, focuses on REM sleep behaviour disorder, an early indicator where people physically act out dreams. Researchers are evaluating whether an AstronauTx compound can improve restorative sleep at this pre diagnostic stage to stop toxic proteins from accumulating in brain tissue. The second project, funded by Parkinson's UK and led by Ian Harrison at University College London, investigates slow wave sleep. During deep sleep, the brain uses fluid pathways called the glymphatic system to wash away waste products. The UCL team is testing whether an experimental compound can stimulate slow wave activity and boost this fluid flow to flush out accumulated alpha synuclein in laboratory models. Together, these studies aim to provide preclinical data on whether repairing sleep architecture can serve as an early, disease modifying intervention. AstronauTx plans to advance its lead sleep targeting programme into clinical trials in 2027.