scholarly journals Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Disease

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Denyer ◽  
Michael R. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Novel Approaches ◽  
Surgical Treatments

Current pharmacological and surgical treatments for Parkinson's disease offer symptomatic improvements to those suffering from this incurable degenerative neurological disorder, but none of these has convincingly shown effects on disease progression. Novel approaches based on gene therapy have several potential advantages over conventional treatment modalities. These could be used to provide more consistent dopamine supplementation, potentially providing superior symptomatic relief with fewer side effects. More radically, gene therapy could be used to correct the imbalances in basal ganglia circuitry associated with the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, or to preserve or restore dopaminergic neurons lost during the disease process itself. The latter neuroprotective approach is the most exciting, as it could theoretically be disease modifying rather than simply symptom alleviating. Gene therapy agents using these approaches are currently making the transition from the laboratory to the bedside. This paper summarises the theoretical approaches to gene therapy for Parkinson's disease and the findings of clinical trials in this rapidly changing field.

Protein stability and aggregation in Parkinson's disease

2008 ◽  
Vol 413 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip A. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Mitochondrial Activity ◽  
Apparent Paradox ◽  
Lewy Neurites ◽  
Age Related

Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disease, results in abnormalities in motor functioning. Many fundamental questions regarding its aetiology remain unanswered. Pathologically, it is not until 70–80% of the dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra pars compacta are lost before clinical symptoms are observed. Thus research into PD is complicated by this apparent paradox in that what appears to be the beginning of the disease at the clinical level is really the end point neurochemically. Consequently, we can only second guess when the disease started and what initiated it. The causation is probably complex, with contributions from both genetic and environmental factors. Intracellular proteinaceous inclusions, Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, found in surviving dopaminergic neurons, are the key pathological characteristic of PD. Their presence points to an inability within these terminally differentiated cells to deal with aggregating proteins. Recent advances in our knowledge of the underlying disease process have come about from studies on models based on genes associated with rare hereditary forms of PD, and mitochondrial toxins that mimic the behavioural effects of PD. The reason that dopaminergic neurons are particularly sensitive may be due to the additional cellular stress caused by the breakdown of the inherently chemically unstable neurotransmitter, dopamine. In the present review, I discuss the proposal that in sporadic disease, interlinked problems of protein processing and inappropriate mitochondrial activity seed the foundation for age-related increased levels of protein damage, and a reduced ability to deal with the damage, leading to inclusion formation and, ultimately, cell toxicity.

Gene Therapy in the Management of Parkinson’s Disease: Potential of GDNF as a Promising Therapeutic Strategy

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-222
Author(s):  
Tapan Behl ◽  
Ishnoor Kaur ◽  
Arun Kumar ◽  
Vineet Mehta ◽  
Gokhan Zengin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Viral Vector ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Dopamine Synthesis ◽  
Motor Symptoms ◽  
Ligand Complex

: The limitations of conventional treatment therapies in Parkinson’s disorder, a common neurodegenerative disorder, lead to the development of an alternative gene therapy approach. Multiple treatment options targeting dopaminergic neuronal regeneration, production of enzymes linked with dopamine synthesis, subthalamic nucleus neurons, regulation of astrocytes and microglial cells and potentiating neurotrophic factors, were established. Viral vector-based dopamine delivery, prodrug approaches, fetal ventral mesencephalon tissue transplantation and dopamine synthesizing enzyme encoding gene delivery are significant therapies evidently supported by numerous trials. The review primarily elaborates on the significant role of glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor in alleviating motor symptoms and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease. Neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects of GDNF were established via preclinical and clinical study outcomes. The binding of GDNF family ligands with associated receptors leads to the formation of a receptor-ligand complex activating Ret receptor of tyrosine kinase family, which is only expressed in dopaminergic neurons, playing an important role in Parkinson’s disease, via its association with the essential protein encoded genes. Furthermore, the review establishes delivery aspects, like ventricular delivery of recombinant GDNF, intraparenchymal and intraputaminal delivery using infusion catheters. The review highlights problems and challenges of GDNF delivery, and essential measures to overcome them, like gene therapy combinations, optimization of delivery vectors, newer targeting devices, motor symptoms curbing focused ultrasound techniques, modifications in patient selection criteria and development of novel delivery strategies based on liposomes and encapsulated cells, to promote safe and effective delivery of neurotrophic factor and establishment of routine treatment therapy for patients.

scholarly journals Drosophila Models of Parkinson's Disease: Discovering Relevant Pathways and Novel Therapeutic Strategies

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica Muñoz-Soriano ◽  
Nuria Paricio
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Progressive Loss ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Drosophila Models

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is mainly characterized by the selective and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, accompanied by locomotor defects. Although most PD cases are sporadic, several genes are associated with rare familial forms of the disease. Analyses of their function have provided important insights into the disease process, demonstrating that three types of cellular defects are mainly involved in the formation and/or progression of PD: abnormal protein aggregation, oxidative damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction. These studies have been mainly performed in PD models created in mice, fruit flies, and worms. Among them, Drosophila has emerged as a very valuable model organism in the study of either toxin-induced or genetically linked PD. Indeed, many of the existing fly PD models exhibit key features of the disease and have been instrumental to discover pathways relevant for PD pathogenesis, which could facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals Treating Parkinson’s disease by astrocyte reprogramming: Progress and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (26) ◽  
pp. eabg3198
Author(s):  
Zhuang-Yao D. Wei ◽  
Ashok K. Shetty
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
Nonmotor Symptoms ◽  
Axonal Projections ◽  
Potential Risks

Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, is typified by both motor and nonmotor symptoms. The current medications provide symptomatic relief but do not stimulate the production of new dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Astrocyte reprogramming has recently received much attention as an avenue for increasing functional dopaminergic neurons in the mouse PD brain. By targeting a microRNA (miRNA) loop, astrocytes in the mouse brain could be reprogrammed into functional dopaminergic neurons. Such in vivo astrocyte reprogramming in the mouse model of PD has successfully added new dopaminergic neurons to the substantia nigra and increased dopamine levels associated with axonal projections into the striatum. This review deliberates the astrocyte reprogramming methods using specific transcription factors and mRNAs and the progress in generating dopaminergic neurons in vivo. In addition, the translational potential, challenges, and potential risks of astrocyte reprogramming for an enduring alleviation of parkinsonian symptoms are conferred.

scholarly journals Delayed Dominant-Negative TNF Gene Therapy Halts Progressive Loss of Nigral Dopaminergic Neurons in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley S Harms ◽  
Christopher J Barnum ◽  
Kelly A Ruhn ◽  
Steve Varghese ◽  
Isaac Treviño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Progressive Loss ◽  
Tnf Gene

scholarly journals Chronic dietary supplementation with turmeric protects against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-mediated neurotoxicity in vivo: implications for Parkinson's disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeswara Babu Mythri ◽  
Jayagopalan Veena ◽  
G. Harish ◽  
B. S. Shankaranarayana Rao ◽  
M. M. Srinivas Bharath
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Symptomatic Relief ◽  
Dietary Supplementation ◽  
Protein Nitration ◽  
Dietary Consumption ◽  
Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
The Brain

Multiple pathways including oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage are implicated in neurodegeneration during Parkinson's disease (PD). The current PD drugs provide only symptomatic relief and have limitations in terms of adverse effects and inability to prevent neurodegeneration. Therefore, there is a demand for novel compound(s)/products that could target multiple pathways and protect the dying midbrain dopaminergic neurons, with potential utility as adjunctive therapy along with conventional drugs. Turmeric is a spice used in traditional Indian cuisine and medicine with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and potential neuroprotective properties. To explore the neuroprotective property of turmeric in PD, mice were subjected to dietary supplementation with aqueous suspensions of turmeric for 3 months, mimicking its chronic consumption and challenged in vivo with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Brain samples from untreated and treated groups were characterised based on mitochondrial complex I (CI) activity, protein nitration and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity. Chronic turmeric supplementation induced the enzyme activity of γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase, which in turn increased glutathione levels and protected against peroxynitrite-mediated inhibition of brain CI. These mice were also protected against MPTP-mediated protein nitration, CI inhibition and degeneration of substantia nigra neurons in the brain. We conclude that chronic dietary consumption of turmeric protects the brain against neurotoxic insults, with potential application in neurodegeneration. Further characterisation of the active constituents of turmeric that potentially promote neuroprotection could improve the utility of dietary turmeric in brain function and disease.

Molecular imaging of gene therapy. The future in Parkinson's disease therapy?

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (S 4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.H Jacobs ◽  
R Hilker ◽  
L Burghaus ◽  
W.D Heiss
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Molecular Imaging ◽  
Disease Therapy ◽  
The Future
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