Parkinson's disease and diabetes mellitus: common mechanisms and treatment repurposing

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 1652 - 1658
• Main Authors: Labandeira, Carmen, Fraga-Bau, Arturo, Arias Ron, David, Alvarez-Rodriguez, Elena, Vicente-Alba, Pablo, Lago-Garma, Javier, Rodriguez-Perez, Ana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.08.2022; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Department of Clinical Neurology,Hospital Alvaro Cunqueiro,University Hospital Complex,Vigo,Spain; Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's Disease,Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases(CIMUS),IDIS,University of Santiago de Compostela,Santiago de Compostela,Spain%Department of Clinical Neurology,Hospital Alvaro Cunqueiro,University Hospital Complex,Vigo,Spain%Department of Clinical Oncology,University Hospital Complex,Ourense,Spain%Department of Endocrinology,Hospital Meixoeiro, University Hospital Complex,Vigo,Spain%Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's Disease,Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases(CIMUS),IDIS,University of Santiago de Compostela,Santiago de Compostela,Spain; Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases(CiberNed),Madrid,Spain; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: antidiabetic; diabetes mellitus; dopamine; exenatide; glucagon-like peptide-1; insulin; neurodegeneration; neuroinflammation; parkinson’s disease; repurposing; Antidiabetics; Diabetes; GLP-1 receptor agonists; Insulin resistance; Medical prognosis; Neurodegeneration; Parkinson's disease; Review; insulin; neuroinflammation; glucagon-like peptide-1; neurodegeneration; antidiabetic; diabetes mellitus; repurposing; dopamine; Parkinson’s disease; exenatide; Parkinson's disease
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.332122

In the last decade, attention has become greater to the relationship between neurodegeneration and abnormal insulin signaling in the central nervous system, as insulin in the brain is implicated in neuronal survival, plasticity, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's disease are both aging-associated diseases that are turning into epidemics worldwide. Diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance not only increase the possibility of developing Parkinson's disease but can also determine the prognosis and progression of Parkinsonian symptoms. Today, there are no available curative or disease modifying treatments for Parkinson's disease, but the role of insulin and antidiabetic medications in neurodegeneration opens a door to treatment repurposing to fight against Parkinson's disease, both in diabetic and nondiabetic Parkinsonian patients. Furthermore, it is essential to comprehend how a frequent and treatable disease such as diabetes can influence the progression of neurodegeneration in a challenging disease such as Parkinson's disease. Here, we review the present evidence on the connection between Parkinson's disease and diabetes and the consequential implications of the existing antidiabetic molecules in the severity and development of Parkinsonism, with a particular focus on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.