The future of genetic research on neurodegeneration

Why, with all the progress in the field of neurodegeneration, do we still lack disease-modifying drugs that tackle the primary defect of severe cell loss? How much progress has been made toward this goal? Have we spent our time and resources wisely? And, most important, is there room for improvement? This commentary highlights several problems faced by researchers in studying the genetic etiology of neurodegenerative diseases and seeks to provide direction in overcoming some of these obstacles.