Alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils: a tool to understand Parkinson’s disease and develop disease modifying therapy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by multiple motor and non-motor symptoms, which include, among others, constipation, sleep disturbance, bradykinesia, gait and balance abnormalities, muscle stiffness and resting tremor. The motor symptoms are caused by progressive age-related death of dopaminergic neurons and in the vast majority of patients suffering from age-related idiopathic PD the cause of dopaminergic neurodegeneration is unknown. Even in the familial early-onset PD where genetic mutations have been identified, the molecular mechanisms driving degeneration of dopaminergic neurons are far from clear. Consequently, there is no clinically approved disease-modifying therapy capable of stopping or at least slowing down the disease progression. CLICK TO REVIEW