Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementias

Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Lewy body dementias (LBD) are synucleinopathies in which the synaptic protein, alpha-synuclein (α-syn), becomes modified, misfolded, and aggregated, resulting primarily in dopaminergic neuronal cell loss. Along with the loss of this neuronal subpopulation are various inflammatory alterations within the periphery and central nervous system (CNS). These inflammatory responses are found in both familial and sporadic forms of the disease, as well as in animal models. Whether this inflammatory response initiates disease or occurs as a result of initial neuronal damage is still under investigation. However, a multitude of research supports its contribution to disease progression and neuropathogenesis in both diseases. Therefore, researchers are currently targeting neuroinflammatory pathways as forms of immunotherapy for both PD, LBD, and other parkinsonian-like diseases.