Genome editing in Parkinson's disease: Unlocking therapeutic avenues through CRISPR-Cas systems

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an illness that causes both motor and non-motor symptoms in the patient which occurs as a result of a progressive loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. Even though the success of symptomatic treatments is promising, at the same time there is currently no effective therapy that can halt or reverse disease progression. Key genes such as SNCA, LRRK2, and PINK1 are considered as the main hopefuls aspect for the treatment of Parkinson's because mutations of these genes are the reason for the appearance of the familial and sporadic kinds of the disease, respectively. The CRISPR-Cas system, a breakthrough genome-editing technology which enables precise and targeted genetic modifications, renders the possibilities of both PD research and therapy. Examining the mechanics of prime editing, base editing, and CRISPR-Cas9 highlights how effective and precise these methods are for modifying genes. An overview of recent developments in the use of CRISPR to create PD models is also included in the current review, with a focus on the roles these models play in clarifying disease pathways and locating new treatment targets. These models include isogenic cell lines, transgenic animals, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This review highlights the potential of CRISPR-based strategies to correct PD-associated mutations, modulate pathogenic gene expression, and develop neuroprotective interventions targeting key processes such as mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, it critically evaluates the role of CRISPR-based technologies as transformative tools in PD research and therapy while highlighting key challenges for their clinical translation.