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Review
. 2018 Apr 16;2(2):NS20170166.
doi: 10.1042/NS20170166. eCollection 2018 Jun.

A role for viral infections in Parkinson's etiology?

Laura K Olsen  1 , Eilis Dowd  1 , Declan P McKernan  1
Affiliations
Review

A role for viral infections in Parkinson's etiology?

Laura K Olsen et al. Neuronal Signal. .

Abstract

Despite over 200 years since its first description by James Parkinson, the cause(s) of most cases of Parkinson's disease (PD) are yet to be elucidated. The disparity between the current understanding of PD symptomology and pathology has led to numerous symptomatic therapies, but no strategy for prevention or disease cure. An association between certain viral infections and neurodegenerative diseases has been recognized, but largely ignored or dismissed as controversial, for decades. Recent epidemiological studies have renewed scientific interest in investigating microbial interactions with the central nervous system (CNS). This review examines past and current clinical findings and overviews the potential molecular implications of viruses in PD pathology.

Keywords: Parkinsons disease; neurodegeneration; neuroinflammation; viral infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no competing interests associated with the manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. HSV-I and Influenza A viral infections may lead to PD-like pathology
HSV-I and influenza A viral infections have the potential to cause molecular and cellular changes that can alter healthy neuron function within the CNS. Viral transcripts/proteins due to HSV-I/influenza A infection may cause inflammation, autophagy disruption, and synapse dysfunction, possibly contributing to a PD-like pathology.
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