Role of a-synuclein in proinflammatories processes of neural cells and their regulation by gene therapy for IGF-I

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which manifests as a motor disorder, characterized by slowness of movements, rigidity and tremor. Motor dysfunction of PD is due to dopamine loss in the neostriatum and due to the neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neuron’s cell bodies of the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNPC). Evidence suggests that chronic neuroinflammation, mediated by activated microglial and astroglial cells in the SNPC, could be essential for the degenerative process. It is well known that IGF1 plays a key role in neuroprotection in physiological conditions, both in health and disease. Previous studies of our group have shown that Rad-IGF ICV gene therapy had a restorative effect on motor skills of aged rats.