Druggable targets for Parkinson’s disease: An overview

Abstract

One of the most crippling conditions affecting the brain and its progression causes neurodegeneration is Parkinson's disease (PD). The disease is characterized by accumulation of α-synuclein having Lewy bodies and further loss of dopaminergic neuron in substantia nigra, ultimately causing reduced ability of voluntary movements. The main symptoms of PD include tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity. Though, various symptomatic treatment options are available targeting both motor and non-motor signs but none of them claim to improve quality of life of PD patients. Recent studies indicated the identification of targets for PD such as glutamate receptors, α-Syn, c-Abl, molecular chaperones, GPR109Aand metals have been and some drugs targeting these targets are already there in market. The effectiveness of these pharmacological targets in treating PD has to be confirmed by a larger-scale trial. Effective PD therapy may also target pathways mediated by autophagy. Gene therapy and gene editing all have strong therapeutic effects and provide fresh PD medication targets. Additionally, the therapy of PD is more effective when a multi-target response is used. Further, research should be conducted to validate and explore new targets for treatment ofPD.