Alpha-synuclein Immunization Strategies for Synucleinopathies in Clinical Studies: A Biological Perspective

The therapeutic strategies currently available for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease target only the symptoms of the disease. Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy can be summarized as synucleinopathies, as they are all characterized by the aggregation and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) in the brain. Targeting alpha-syn by its formation and progression opens a new and promising disease-modifying therapeutic strategy. Thus, several distinct immunotherapeutic approaches are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. The objective of this article is to review, from a biological perspective, the most important properties of these passive and active immunotherapies to point out their relevance and suitability for the treatment of synucleinopathies.

Automated summary

Current therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease focus on symptom management, but targeting alpha-syn by immunotherapy shows promise as a novel disease-modifying approach. Various immunotherapeutic approaches are currently being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of synucleinopathies, characterized by the aggregation of alpha-synuclein in the brain.