Academic Press Clinical Studies and Therapies in Parkinson's Disease: Translations from Preclinical Models

More than 50 years have passed since the use of L-dopa in the palliative treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but it remains the most common treatment despite inducing severe side effects such as dyskinesia after 4–6 years of use. Numerous preclinical investigations based on endogenous neurotoxin models have promised various therapies for Parkinson’s disease, but these efforts have failed when attempting to transfer these successful results to preclinical studies. Although several publications have warned of these failures, the scientific community remains mostly unaware, and there is a need to focus their efforts on potential therapeutics that can slow or halt development of the disease. Clinical Studies and Therapies in Parkinson’s Disease: Translations from Preclinical Models analyzes preclinical models based on exogenous neurotoxins and why they have failed. Neuroscientists, neurologists, and neuropharmacologists will benefit greatly from the book’s discussion of these newer models, their benefits, and the need for their implementation. This book also provides the basic concepts of dopamine metabolism for students taking courses in neurochemistry, neuroscience, neuropharmacology, biochemistry, and medicine. Review A comprehensive review of the problems in the translation of preclinical outcomes to clinical studies and new pharmacological therapies From the Back Cover More than 50 years have passed since the use of L-dopa in the palliative treatment of Parkinsons Disease, and it remains as the most common treatment despite the fact that after 4-6 years it induces severe side effects such as dyskinesia. Numerous preclinical investigations based on endogenous neurotoxin models have promised various therapies in Parkinsons disease, but efforts have failed at the time of transferring these successful results to preclinical studies. Although there are several publications that warn of these failures, the scientific community remains mostly unaware, and there is a need to focus their efforts on potential therapeutics that can slow the development of the disease. Translation of Preclinical Models to Clinical Studies and Therapies in Parkinsons Disease: Translations from Preclinical Models analyses why preclinical models based on exogenous neurotoxins have failed. To develop new pharmacological treatments for Parkinson´s Disease, the book discusses a more physiological model directly related to metabolism of dopaminergic neurons that are lost before and after the onset of the disease. This book also reviews genetic preclinical models based on genetic mutations associated with the familial form of the disease and preclinical models based on endogenous neurotoxins. About the Author Dr. Juan Segura-Aguilar, PhD, is a professor of molecular and clinical pharmacology at the University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. He obtained his PhD in biochemistry from Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden in 1989. He was previously an associate professor at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. In 1998, he began as an associate professor at University of Chile, and since 2001 has been a full professor. His research has been focused on mechanisms involved in dopaminergic neuron degeneration in Parkinson´s disease. He has more than 140 publications of his research work on neurodegenerative disorders.