The Invertebrates and Their Role Parkinson’s Disease Therapy

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are becoming increasingly common as life expectancy increases. After Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most prevalent and incidental neurodegenerative disorder commonly affecting more than 2% of the elderly population of age 65. Because of the destructive consequences of PD and insufficient current management strategies, it is essential to develop an effective suite of preventative regimens and treatments. The main hurdle in the development of neuroprotective therapies for PD is the limited understanding of the key molecular mechanisms. The search for cardinal hallmarks, potential therapeutics and preclinical animal models are in progress. Examining therapeutic compounds and molecular pathways in human and animal models are limited due to high cost, ethical concerns and lengthy time frame. Invertebrate models are the best alternative in terms of cost, ethical concerns and time frame and up to some extent provided basic insight into the disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the invertebrate models possibilities for gaining insight into the basic molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in PD pathogenesis as well as the screening of the potential therapeutic and neuroprotective compounds.