Glycolysis: The Next Big Breakthrough in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by the death of dopaminergic neurons. Its pathogenesis comprises defects in the physiological pathway of mitophagy and mutations in the genes involved in this process's regulatory mechanism. PD manifests itself with multiple motor and non-motor symptoms, and currently, there are multiple pharmacological treatments, and unconventional non-drug treatments available. The mainstay of Parkinson's disease treatment has centered around directly manipulating neural mechanisms to retain high dopamine levels, either by exogenous administration, increasing intrinsic production, or inhibiting the breakdown of dopamine. In this review, we highlight a new potential biochemical modality of treatment, treating PD through glycolysis. We highlight how terazosin (TZ), via PGK1, increases ATP levels and how enhanced glycolysis serves a neuroprotective role in PD, and compensates for damage caused by mitophagy. We also discuss the role of quercetin, a bioactive flavonoid, in preventing the development of PD, and reversing mitochondrial dysfunction but only so in diabetic patients. Thus, further research should be conducted on glycolysis as a protective target in PD that can serve to not just prevent, but also alleviate the non-dopaminergic signs and symptoms of PD.