Vaccination is increasingly being investigated as a potential treatment for synucleinopathies, a group of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease (synuclein Parkinson), multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies associated with α-synuclein pathology. All lack a causal therapy. Development of novel, disease-altering treatment strategies is urgently needed. Vaccination has positioned itself as a prime strategy for addressing these diseases because it is broadly applicable, requires infrequent administration, and maintains low production costs for treating a large population or as a preventive measure. Current evidence points to a causal role of misfolded α-synuclein in the development and progression of synucleinopathies. In the past decade, significant progress in active immunization against α-synuclein has been shown both in preclinical animal models and in early clinical development. In this review, we describe the state-of-the-art in active immunization approaches to synucleinopathies, with a focus on advances in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple-system atrophy (MSA). We first review preclinical animal models (synuclein and Parkinson), highlighting their progress in translation to the clinical setting. We then discuss current clinical applications, stressing different approaches taken to address α-synuclein pathology. Finally, we address challenges, trends, and future perspectives of current vaccination programs. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
© 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
About Syncrosome:
Syncrosome is a scientific preclinical CRO based in France focused on validating animal disease models to assess the efficacy of new compounds in the field of CNS synuclein Parkinson, Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal and Respiratory diseases.