Immune-related biomarkers for Parkinson's disease

Despite the increasing number of studies on Parkinson's disease and it being the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world, no established diagnostic markers or disease modifying therapies are available. Understanding the mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis and identifying markers capable of diagnosing or tracking progression of PD is greatly needed. Among the several factors identified to be involved in Parkinson's disease, the immune system has had increasingly growing evidence that presents a fresh avenue to investigate the pathology of the disease. The involvement of the immune system in the pathology of Parkinson's disease has been linked to an interaction between the peripheral and central nervous system immune response. Whether this involvement is due to an immune response being a cause or consequence of Parkinson's disease pathology is still a matter of debate. Players investigated include cytokines, chemokines, and immune-cells found in both the central and peripheral immune system. Herein, we discuss advances in the current literature on these immune-related markers and their potential use as markers for Parkinson's disease diagnosis and progression.