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Emerging treatment approaches for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, and thus far, only efficacious symptomatic treatments have been developed, with PD remaining a progressive disease without a cure. PD is characterized by the accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein, and therefore current thinking on the cause of PD and potential disease modifying therapies have focused on preventing the misfolding/accumulation of alpha-synuclein. Recent studies have elucidated the biochemical pathways involved in pathologic alpha-synuclein, revealing the involvement of cellular Abelson (c-Abl). This non-receptor tyrosine kinase initiates downstream biochemical cascades, which drive neurodegeneration. Therefore, current research on the development of a clinical target for PD modification has focused on c-Abl inhibition. The development of cell therapies may also provide a promising avenue for PD treatment, which aim to directly treat or improve symptoms. Affected neurons are surrounded by other cells undergoing neurodegeneration e.g., glial cells, and so if the neuronal environment is made less hostile, neuron dysfunction may be reduced.

In this week’s podcast Milton Werner, PhD, Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc., Atlanta, GA; Daniel Otzen, PhD, Aarhus University,  Aarhus, Denmark; Charbel Moussa, MBBS, PhD,  Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; and Serge Przedborski, MD, PhD, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, discuss novel treatment approaches under investigation for PD.

Date: 3rd February 2023