CA21117 - The role of IMMUnity in tackling PARKinson’s disease through a Translational NETwork (IMMUPARKNET)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a widespread chronic disease affecting 600 000 people in the EU. It has no cure, hence patients rely only on symptomatic treatments. By consequence PD relentlessly results in serious disability, poor quality of life for patients, families and caregivers, causing high individual and societal costs.

PD etiology is largely unexplained and several pathogenetic hypotheses have been explored. The role of the immune system has been suggested by important studies, showing significant changes in both central and peripheral immunity. Several approaches exist to target the immune system, thus – would the contribution of immunity in PD be clarified – novel therapeutics could be developed. Currently only few research groups study the role of the immune system in PD; however methodological and technical approaches are highly variable. Moreover, networking and exchange of expertise between groups working on immunity in different pathologies is still underdeveloped, with the consequence that precious advances are not fully exploited or even precluded. The sharing of experiences, also taking advantage of the efforts made in similar neurodegenerative conditions, will provide unprecedented advantages.

IMMUPARKNET focuses on such challenges and aims at establishing an innovative, multi-interdisciplinary Network, fostering exchange of expertise among outstanding experts, from different countries and institutions, involving scientists studying immunity in PD but also immunity in other neurodegenerative diseases. IMMUPARKNET will thus establish a first nucleus of a multidisciplinary ecosystem to fight the fragmentation of efforts and approaches, both in research and clinical practice, for boosting research towards the development of innovative treatments for PD.