Mitochondrial antigen presentation: a mechanism linking Parkinson's disease to autoimmunity

Parkinson's disease (PD) is caused by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and afflicts millions of people world-wide. The current treatments address only the late motor symptoms, with no cure or preventive therapeutic approaches. The contribution of dysfunctional immune mechanisms in PD has been clearly established, with an emphasis on neuroinflammation and microglial cell activation. Recent studies have widened the involvement of the immune system in this disease by clearly showing the engagement of adaptive immunity and antigen presentation processes, directly regulated by PD-related proteins, raising the question whether PD is an autoimmune disease. The contribution of autoimmune mechanisms in PD opens novel avenues for the development of preventive therapeutic approaches.

帕金森病（PD）是由多巴胺能神经元进行性丧失引起的，全球有数百万人受其折磨。目前的治疗方法仅针对晚期运动症状，没有治愈方法或预防性治疗手段。免疫机制失调在帕金森病中的作用已明确确立，重点是神经炎症和小胶质细胞激活。最近的研究通过明确显示适应性免疫和抗原呈递过程的参与（这些过程受帕金森病相关蛋白直接调控），扩大了免疫系统在该疾病中的作用范围，这引发了帕金森病是否为一种自身免疫性疾病的疑问。自身免疫机制在帕金森病中的作用为开发预防性治疗方法开辟了新途径。