Immunomodulation as a treatment for parkinson's disease in current trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Immunomodulatory drugs and immunotherapies are being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of neuroinflammation, as the latter is an essential mechanism for the development and progression of Parkinson's disease.

The objective of the study is to review recent evidence on the evaluation of immunomodulators in randomized controlled clinical trials measuring improvement of motor symptoms.

A meta-analysis of Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS III) scores extracted from seven articles selected after an online search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Clarivate's Web of Science for randomized controlled clinical trials published between 2000 and July 2023 was performed. The selected articles reported clinical trials evaluating the effects of specific immunomodulators or treatments with known effects on the immune system and inflammation. MDS-UPDRS III scores were reported in these studies, and the results of the placebo groups were compared with those of the treatment groups.

A total of 590 patients treated with immunomodulators and 622 patients treated with placebo were included. A test for heterogeneity yielded an I² value > 50%. The mean standard difference for change in MDS-UPDR III score was -0.46 (CI [95%] = -0.90 - -0.02, p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in the change in mean MDS-UPDR III score between the treatment and placebo groups; however, two studies showed a trend toward separation from the mean.

The immunomodulatory treatments included in this study showed no efficacy in improving motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients. Further clinical trials with larger patient populations are needed.