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During the congress, the experts will discuss the results obtained in research since the last WPC, held three years ago in Japan, including advances in immunotherapy against alpha-synuclein protein for early detection, differences in the manifestation of symptoms between men and women , involvement of the gastrointestinal system and studies of the genetic component of Parkinson’s in different populations.
Parkinson’s, the most frequent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, is characterized by the loss of essential neuronal groups.
Parkinson’s, the most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, is characterized by the loss of essential neuronal groups for functions such as motor control and the presence of motor symptoms – tremors, stiffness and slow movement – and non-motor symptoms – behavioral disorders, of perception, sexual, gastrointestinal…-, as a consequence of this loss of neurons.
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As Laguna explained, the diagnosis of the disease is not given without the appearance of at least one of the three motor symptoms, but “we must break with the idea that Parkinson’s is just tremor”, since it can also manifest itself with rigidity or slowness in movement, as well as non-physical symptoms.
The neuroscientist is currently researching in two lines, the improvement of early diagnosis and the development of therapeutic strategies
This period can last up to 20 years, to which Laguna remarked: “We know that the degenerative process in the brain is already well advanced by the time the disease is diagnosed.”
“Researchers’ efforts are dedicated to searching for biomarkers that help identify individuals who have already begun a process of neurodegeneration even though they do not present motor symptoms, a process that can begin 20 years before clinical diagnosis,” according to Laguna.
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The neuroscientist is currently researching in two lines, improving early diagnosis and developing therapeutic strategies that modify the course of the disease and not just the symptoms.
To improve early diagnosis, the VHIR has promoted the Vall d’Hebron Initiative for Parkinson’s (VHIP), which seeks to identify early biomarkers through people at risk of developing the disease, which is multifactorial and whose development is influenced by genetics and an environmental component that ranges from life habits to stress, drug use or exposure to toxins and pesticides.
“In the world there are eight and a half million people affected by Parkinson’s, but this figure is expected to double, due to the aging of the population and the effects of lifestyle, in the coming years,” warned the neuroscientist.
“The main pharmacological treatment for Parkinson’s is levodopa, which restores dopamine levels in the brain, deficient due to neurodegeneration,” he explained.
Also there are treatments that go beyond the administration of drugs and “physical exercise is beneficial for the course of the disease.” According to the researcher, deep brain stimulation is “the most established intervention” to treat Parkinson’s and consists of stimulating certain neuronal groups using electrodes to achieve better movement control.
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Laguna reported that there are “many treatments”, pharmacological and non-pharmacological, with which they are experimenting, aimed at improving the immune system, the function of mitochondria, autophagy processes or gastrointestinal health, among others.
For the biologist, the resources allocated to Parkinson’s research are “insufficient”, although “there are more and more private initiatives that help to achieve them”, and he believes that the means dedicated to investigating Alzheimer’s are more because the disease “is more frequent”.
