Illuminating Hope for Parkinson's

As we draw to the end of World Parkinson's Awareness Month, it is timely to reflect on effective advances made in treatments.

- DR ANN LIEBERT

There are many new therapies that might show promise for the future, including stem cell therapy and gene therapy. Unfortunately, prasinezumab, the monoclonal antibody that targets aggregated α-synuclein did not fulfill its expected early promise. However, there is an emerging treatment for Parkinson's disease involving light therapy that targets the microbiome-gut-brain axis, which shows great promise. We are pioneering this therapy in Australia, and it has produced a global first in maintaining improvements in slowing disease progression, and in some cases reversing those symptoms. We have prioritized working with Indian colleagues in further trials, investing in India's capacity as a global leader in this treatment. We have been fortunate in receiving support across the political spectrum for such a trial. If the trial is successful, then it might be implemented in parallel or in conjunction with the Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, second only to Alzheimer's disease and is rapidly increasing. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study from 2021, by 2059 over 25 million worldwide will be living with the disease, up from about 10 million today. This is not only due to an aging population but also to an over 75% increase in disease prevalence. This increase is projected to be most substantial in East Asia, including India. During 2000-2019, India's life expectancy grew at the rate of 0.43 additional average age per year. Healthy life expectancy, however, grew at only 0.37 per year. This widened the gap between lifespan and 'healthyspan'. Healthy life expectancy is now almost a decade behind overall life expectancy—how can we all live longer, and healthier, more enjoyable lives?