Mini-review on initiatives to interfere with the propagation and clearance of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease

In this mini-review, we summarize recent findings relating to the prion-like propagation of α-synuclein (α-syn) and the development of novel therapeutic strategies to target synucleinopathy in Parkinson’s disease (PD). We link the Braak’s staging hypothesis of PD with the recent evidence from in-vivo and in-vitro studies for the prion-like cell-to-cell propagation of α-syn (via exocytosis and endocytosis). The classical accumulation of aggregated α-syn in PD may result from an increased production or a failure in the mechanisms of clearance of α-syn. We discuss novel agents, currently in clinical trial for PD including the ones that impact the aggregation of α-syn and others that interfere with α-syn endocytosis as a means to target the progression of the disease.