page_title: Parkinson's disease
section_title: Neuroprotective treatments
hierarchical_section_title: Parkinson's disease / Research / Neuroprotective treatments
caption_attribution_description: 3D structure of GDNF. Image generated by the user based on the atomic coordinates published in work of Eigenbrot and Gerber, Nat Struct Biol. 1997 Jun;4(6):435-8. The original atomic coordinates are deposited in public domain depository: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Structure/mmdb/mmdbsrv.cgi?form=6&amp;db=t&amp;Dopt=s&amp;uid=6212
context_page_description: Parkinson's disease, or simply Parkinson's is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly and, as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms become more common. The most obvious early symptoms are tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty with walking, but cognitive and behavioral problems may also occur. Parkinson's disease dementia becomes common in the advanced stages of the disease. Depression and anxiety are also common, occurring in more than a third of people with PD. Other symptoms include sensory, sleep, and emotional problems. The main motor symptoms are collectively called "parkinsonism", or a "parkinsonian syndrome".
  While the cause of PD is unknown, it is believed to involve both inherited and environmental factors. Those with a family member affected are more likely to get the disease themselves. There is also an increased risk in people exposed to certain pesticides and among those who have had prior head injuries, while there is a reduced risk in tobacco smokers and coffee or tea drinkers.
context_section_description: Investigations on neuroprotection are at the forefront of PD research. Several molecules have been proposed as potential treatments. However, none of them have been conclusively demonstrated to reduce degeneration. Agents currently under investigation include, antiglutamatergics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (selegiline, rasagiline), promitochondrials (coenzyme Q10, creatine), calcium channel blockers (isradipine) and growth factors (GDNF). Reducing alpha-synuclein pathology is a major focus of preclinical research. A vaccine that primes the human immune system to destroy alpha-synuclein, PD01A (developed by Austrian company, Affiris), entered clinical trials and a phase 1 report in 2020 suggested safety and tolerability. In 2018, an antibody, PRX002/RG7935, showed preliminary safety evidence in stage I trials supporting continuation to stage II trials.
caption: Several chemical compounds, such as GDNF (chemical structure pictured) have been proposed as neuroprotectors in PD, but their effectiveness has not been proven.
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