Editorial: Neuroprotection and disease modification in Parkinson’s disease: Volume II

Editorial on the Research Topic Neuroprotection and disease modification in Parkinson's disease: Volume II Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second prevailing neurodegenerative disease worldwide after Alzheimer's.

Nearly 1% of seniors over 65 suffer from this disease, and as old population grows rapidly, so does PD incidence.

Early onset PD, before the 50s, is usually inherited, likely related to specific gene mutations.

Added to the characteristic symptoms of PD, v.g., bradykinesia, shaking, stiffness, and handicapped balance and coordination, innumerable non-motor symptoms like changes in mood, sleep patterns and quality, and autonomic alterations impair patients' life quality.

Current treatments aim to mitigate PD symptoms, not decelerating disease progression.

So far, no preventing approach is available against PD.

Current pharmacology in this field has a clear priority, which is to identify or develop drugs and therapies to hold PD progression.

Basic research to test the potential of new molecules and strategies in neuroprotection is thus mandatory.

This Research Topic addresses some new pharmacological neuroprotective and diseasemodifying strategies for PD, including possible target pathways, and effects on humans.

We trust this updated information may help to devising new therapeutic strategies to prevent or delay PD onset and progression.

Subjects covered in this Research Topic are: Peripheral Neuroprotective and Immunomodulatory Effects of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors in Parkinson's Disease Models.

After finding an immunomodulatory effect of female hormones to treat enteric neurodegeneration in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD, Poirier et al. tested the hypothesis of obtaining similar neuroprotection by affecting steroidogenesis with two 5α-reductase inhibitors, finasteride and dutasteride.

They found that dutasteride treatment prevented enteric neuronal damage in the MPTP mouse model, partly via anti-inflammatory and mitochondrial effects.

Dutasteride might thus constitute a promising drug for treating enteric neuroinflammation in early PD (Perez-Pardo et al., 2019; Poirier et al., 2016).

Characterization of Nasco grape pomace-loaded nutriosomes and their neuroprotective effects in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

The neuroprotective effects of