title: Priorities in Parkinson's disease research.
abstract: The loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta leads to the characteristic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: bradykinesia, rigidity and resting tremors. Although these symptoms can be improved using currently available dopamine replacement strategies, there is still a need to improve current strategies of treating these symptoms, together with a need to alleviate non-motor symptoms of the disease. Moreover, treatments that provide neuroprotection and/or disease-modifying effects remain an urgent unmet clinical need. This Review describes the most promising biological targets and therapeutic agents that are currently being assessed to address these treatment goals. Progress will rely on understanding genetic mutations or susceptibility factors that lead to Parkinson's disease, better translation between preclinical animal models and clinical research, and improving the design of future clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie et Centre de référence atrophie multisystématisée, CHU de Bordeaux, Avenue Magellan F-33604 Pessac France. wassilios.meissner@chu-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Wassilios G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frasier
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piccini
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Obeso
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rascol
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schapira
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Voon
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tison
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bezard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D004298:Dopamine