Systematic review assesses next-generation drug strategies for Parkinson disease

Background

Parkinson disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition with both motor and non-motor features. Current treatments mainly relieve symptoms and have little effect on the disease itself¹. A systematic review published in Neurol Sci in 2026 aimed to bring together recent evidence on newer drug-based approaches for symptom control and disease modification¹.

Methods

The authors followed PRISMA 2020. They searched databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library for peer-reviewed human studies published between 2015 and 2026¹.

In total, 30 studies met the eligibility criteria. These comprised randomised trials, observational research and early-phase clinical trials¹.

Findings

• Dopaminergic therapy remains central to the control of motor symptoms¹.
• Emerging approaches were reported to show promising neuroprotective and disease-modifying potential¹. These include:
• gene therapy and gene editing
• regeneration using stem cells
• nanomedicine-based delivery
• drug repurposing
• precision medicine driven by artificial intelligence

Limitations of the evidence

Most of the new interventions are still at preclinical or early clinical stages¹. Some gene-, cell- and nanotechnology-derived approaches have so far been studied solely in animals or cell cultures, not in people with Parkinson disease¹.

The authors noted several problems with the evidence: small samples, invasive delivery, short follow-up and the absence of long-term safety data¹.

Conclusions

The authors conclude that therapeutic targets and mechanisms have diversified considerably¹. However, they state that rigorous, large-scale clinical trials guided by biomarkers are required before these advances can become effective and sustainable treatments¹.