Neuroinflammation as an integral component of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a steadily progressing neurodegenerative disorder, the pathogenetic mechanisms of which are still unclear. The disease is characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra of the midbrain. Given the improvement in the quality of health care, the total number of patients diagnosed with PD in the world is projected to increase to 8.7 million by 2030.

This review covers the fundamental aspects of neuroinflammation in the context of PD pathogenesis. There is no doubt that proinflammatory immune-mediated mechanisms play a decisive role in the occurrence and progression of the disease. Cells of neuronal origin such as microglia and astrocytes act as inducers of neuroinflammation, affecting the permeability of the blood-brain barrier for peripheral immunocompetent cells. In addition, there are apparently cytokine patterns of the immunological response in PD.

Potential therapeutic approaches to alleviate neuroinflammation in PD, which have been studied in experimental and in vitro models, are also discussed.