Thomas Gasser (DZNE), Antonio P. Strafella (CIHR)

Several lines of evidence point to an influence of inflammation on the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Nonetheless, clinical studies have not clearly shown that the use of anti-inflammatory compounds is protective against PD. This may be explained by the existence of different subgroups of PD. Possibly, only a proportion of PD subjects suffer from concomitant inflammation, and/or inflammatory cascades may differ in subgroups. The aim of this project is to test this hypothesis and define such "inflammatory subgroups". These patients may be excellent candidates for clinical trials of anti-inflammatory agents as disease-modifying treatment in PD.