Evidence for the role of neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease

As outlined on the slide, many different clinical and experimental observations link neuroinflammation and the aetiology of PD:^1-3

• there are shared genetic factors between PD and some autoimmune diseases
• people with PD appear to have impaired cellular and humoral immune responses
• there is evidence from neuroimaging studies of the neuroinflammation in PD
• beyond clinical observations, experimental animal models of PD show immune dysregulation.

In order to more fully understand the role that neuroinflammation plays in the development and progression of PD, new techniques and experimental approaches are needed to better interrogate the complex relationships.²

References:
1.Tan EK, Chao YX, West A, et al. Parkinson disease and the immune system – associations, mechanisms and therapeutics. Nat Rev Neurol 2020; 16 (6): 303–318.

2.Tansey MG, Wallings RL, Houser MC, et al. Inflammation and immune dysfunction in Parkinson disease. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22 (11): 657–673.

3.Rocha NP, de Miranda AS, Teixeira AL. Insights into neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease: from biomarkers to anti-inflammatory based therapies. Biomed Res Int 2015; 2015: 628192.