Gene Expression Profiling in Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as PD should be preceded by research on its exact pathophysiological mechanisms. As a research method to elucidate disease mechanism, gene expression profiling has recently been paid attention. The technique consists of comparing the gene expression levels between healthy populations and PD patients as the basis for inferring the pathological mechanism of PD. Although many studies have been undertaken using this technique, controlling related variables, such as gender, disease stage, and anatomical area, remains a challenge. Additionally, it is necessary to establish strategies for acquiring access to obtain more diversified samples in peripheral tissues such as blood and fibroblast. This review will investigate the hitherto achieved results and current state of research, as well as its limitations, and serve as a signpost for future research directions.