New Review Explores Microglia in Early Parkinson’s Disease

• Parkinson’s Disease
• Neuro-Immunology Group
• Department of Cancer Research

A new review article, “Microglial dynamics and neuroinflammation in prodromal and early Parkinson’s disease”, by Dr Frida Lind-Holm Mogensen and Dr Alessandro Michelucci from the Neuro-Immunology Group, in collaboration with Dr Philip Seibler and Prof Anne Grünewald, has recently been published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation.

The article highlights the emerging role of microglia, the brain’s immune cells, in the early development of Parkinson’s disease (PD), long before noticeable motor symptoms appear. The authors explore how microglial activation and immune dysfunction may actively drive disease progression, suggesting new avenues for early intervention.

“This work emphasizes the importance of looking at Parkinson’s disease through the lens of immune interactions in the brain,” explained Dr Michelucci, co-author and head of the Neuro-Immunology Group at the LIH. “By understanding microglial changes early on, we may be able to intervene before irreversible damage occurs.”

The review also discusses recent advances in neuroimaging, experimental models, and biomarker discovery that are helping researchers track microglial activity and immune alterations. These tools are especially useful for diagnosing the prodromal phase of PD, when brain changes occur without any outwardly visible signs. The authors suggest that techniques such as these could prove critical for identifying at risk individuals and developing personalized, disease-modifying therapies.