Topic: Advances in Parkinson and Atypical Parkinson's Diseases

Unfortunately, the number of people with Parkinson's (PD) and Atypical Parkinsons Disease is predicted to double in the next decade, probably due to increased lifespan and environmental conditions. However, the field has been rapidly advancing our understanding of the conditions. There appear to be two types of PD: Roughly 50% have a "Brain First" condition that shows a particular REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). These exhibit prodromal symptoms up to 10 years before clinical PD. The other 50% are "Gut-First Parkinson's", with symptoms occurring first in the periphery (gut, heart) and then the brain.

In conjunction with MRI, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies can recognize the early disease and, recently, a ligand to alpha-synuclein that can identify people with Multiple system atrophy (MSA). However, this only partially addresses the urgent need for biomarkers to identify the types of Parkinson's and Atypical Parkinsons Diseases that can monitor disease progression. New therapeutic development will depend on these biomarkers.

While much of the focus is on early diagnosis and treatment, there are important advances in therapies that improve the quality of life of people living with Parkinson's and Atypical Parkinsons Diseases. Restorative cell replacement therapies have also made significant advances in using cells that meet Good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards.

This Special Issue will attempt to bring together recent advances in the field.

10 Dec 2024