Neuroprotection in Parkinson Disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Neurodegenerative Diseases

Background:

• Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with significant motor and non-motor symptoms.
• Current treatments for PD primarily manage symptoms, with no effective disease-modifying therapies available.
• Key challenges in developing neuroprotective treatments include PD's heterogeneity, inadequate preclinical models, and biomarker scarcity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the critical issues hindering neuroprotection in Parkinson disease.
• To discuss the main pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in PD.
• To examine current disease-modifying therapeutic candidates for PD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on Parkinson disease neuroprotection.
• Classification and discussion of major pathophysiological pathways in PD.
• Categorization and review of potential disease-modifying agents for PD.

Main Results:

• Neuroprotection in PD is impeded by clinical and biological heterogeneity, suboptimal models, lack of biomarkers, complex pathophysiology, and trial design limitations.
• Primary pathophysiological mechanisms include mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction, inflammation, and protein aggregation.
• Various therapeutic candidates targeting these mechanisms are under investigation.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the heterogeneity and improving preclinical models are crucial for advancing PD neuroprotection.
• Development of reliable biomarkers for disease progression and modification is essential.
• Future research should focus on innovative trial designs and combination therapies to achieve disease modification in PD.