Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease
08:09

Gene-environment Interaction Models to Unmask Susceptibility Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease

Published on: January 7, 2014

7.8K

Inflammatory Mechanisms in Parkinson's Disease: From Pathogenesis to Targeted Therapies

Stellina Y H Lee1,2, Nathanael J Yates1,3, Susannah J Tye1,4,5

  • 1Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia.

The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry
|February 15, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Inflammation drives Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. Microglia activation and inflammatory biomarkers are key, offering potential targets for new disease-modifying therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Inflammation is integral to the neurodegenerative process in Parkinson's disease (PD).
  • Microglia, the brain's immune cells, are activated early in PD, exacerbating disease initiation and progression through immune mechanisms.
  • Cytokines and microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate later disease stages and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review preclinical and clinical evidence linking inflammation to PD initiation and progression.
  • To summarize key inflammatory biomarkers identified in PD.
  • To explore the potential of regulating inflammatory processes as a therapeutic strategy for PD.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current preclinical and clinical research on inflammation in PD.
  • Analysis of studies identifying and validating inflammatory biomarkers in PD.
  • Examination of potential pharmacological targets for modulating neuroinflammation in PD.

Main Results:

  • Substantial evidence supports inflammation's role in initiating and advancing PD neurodegeneration.
  • Various inflammatory markers in the central nervous system are associated with PD.
  • These biomarkers show potential for predicting PD risk, diagnosis, and severity monitoring.

Conclusions:

  • Inflammatory processes are critical drivers of Parkinson's disease.
  • Identified inflammatory biomarkers are promising for clinical applications in PD.
  • Targeting neuroinflammation presents a viable strategy for developing disease-modifying treatments for PD.
Keywords:
Parkinson’s diseasebiomarkersdisease-modifying therapiesneurodegenerationneuroinflammation

More Related Videos

Analyzing the Parkinson's Disease Mouse Model Induced by Adeno-associated Viral Vectors Encoding Human α-Synuclein14:45

Analyzing the Parkinson's Disease Mouse Model Induced by Adeno-associated Viral Vectors Encoding Human α-Synuclein

Published on: July 29, 2022

6.3K

Related Concept Videos

Parkinson's Disease: Overview01:15

Parkinson's Disease: Overview

Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is...
1.2K
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment01:24

Parkinson's Disease: Treatment

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of...
752
Neural Regulation01:37

Neural Regulation

Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.
41.7K
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
1.4K
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase,...
1.8K
EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research01:21

EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells are excellent models for disease research because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into most cell types. Somatic cells from a patient are isolated and reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs. These iPSCs are later differentiated into the desired cell type, which mirrors the diseased cell of the patient. In this way, disease models have been created for investigating diseases such as Down syndrome, type I diabetes,...
3.1K