Mitochondria in Parkinson disease - Back in fashion with a little help from genetics

Parkinson disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure. Impairment in mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis. Recent genetic advances suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction may be the primary defect. Drugs that target the mitochondria may therefore represent the best hop for disease-modifying therapies in Parkinson disease.