α-synuclein toxicity in neurodegeneration: mechanism and therapeutic strategies.
Alterations in α-synuclein dosage lead to familial Parkinson's disease (PD), and its accumulation results in synucleinopathies that include PD, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Furthermore, α-synuclein contributes to the fibrilization of amyloid-b and tau, two key proteins in Alzheimer's disease, which suggests a central role for α-synuclein toxicity in neurodegeneration. Recent studies of factors contributing to α-synuclein toxicity and its disruption of downstream cellular pathways have expanded our understanding of disease pathogenesis in synucleinopathies. In this Review, we discuss these emerging themes, including the contributions of aging, selective vulnerability and non-cell-autonomous factors such as α-synuclein cell-to-cell propagation and neuroinflammation. Finally, we summarize recent efforts toward the development of targeted therapies for PD and related synucleinopathies.
Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Yvette C
YC
Wong
Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Dimitri
D
Krainc
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy; D001370:Axonal Transport; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D066329:Protein Aggregates; D066263:Protein Aggregation, Pathological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000378:metabolism*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D066329:Protein Aggregates; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D016875:tau Proteins