Neurodegenerative diseases characterised by aggregates of the protein α-Synuclein (α-Syn) are referred to by the umbrella term α-Synucleinopathies. They are chronic, progressive disorders without curative therapy and include Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy amongst other diseases.
α-Syn is widely expressed in the brain. There is increasing evidence that misfolded aggregated α-Syn is the causative agent in synucleinopathies, which has constituted a significant advance in our understanding of these diseases. This realisation provides a strong rationale to target α-Syn for developing a causative therapy and as a predictive biomarker for disease progression.
