Venoms as an adjunctive therapy for Parkinson's disease: where are we now and where are we going?

Parisa Gazerani

doi:10.2144/fsoa-2020-0119

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), are increasing in the aging population. Crucially, neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in PD is associated with chronic inflammation and glial activation. Besides this, bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, sensory alteration, and cognitive and psychiatric impairments are also present in PD. Currently, no pharmacologically effective treatment alters the progression of the disease. Discovery and development of new treatment strategies remains a focus for ongoing investigations. For example, one approach is cell therapy to prevent dopaminergic neuronal loss or to slow PD progression. The neuroprotective role of a diverse range of natural products, including venoms from bees, scorpions, snakes and lizards, are also being tested in preclinical PD models and in humans. The main findings from recent studies that have investigated venoms as therapeutic options for PD are summarized in this special report.

Highlights

The authors proposed that bee venom decreases neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis [57]
This study showed that motor skills were improved in the treated group compared with the placebo group on the MDS-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score, for at least 12 weeks after the end of therapy [74]
Conclusion & future perspective It is undeniable that venoms are a rich source of bioactive compounds and current evidence supports the neuroprotective properties of some venoms [25]

Summary

Special Report Gazerani

PLA2 alone, improved motor coordination and balance in different models of PD [50], which suggests that PLA2 is the active pharmacological compound [52,53] Another peptide from bee venom, apamin, has shown neuroprotective effects on mesencephalic or midbrain dopaminergic neurons in culture [54,55]. In a rotenone model of PD in mice [57], bee venom improved locomotor behavior impairments and reversed the rotenone-related reduction in brain dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, GSH levels and paraoxonase activity and the significant elevation in brain malondialdehyde, TNF-α, IL-β, DNA damage and over-expression of caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 genes [57] Based on these findings, the authors proposed that bee venom decreases neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis [57].

Conclusion & future perspective

Executive summary