Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2): an update on the potential therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

Mutations in Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are a risk factor for and a cause of sporadic and familial Parkinson’s disease (PD), respectively. These mutations are some of the most common genetic contributors to PD and render the kinase hyperactive. Increasingly within the past decade, there has been substantial effort investigating LRRK2 as a target for therapeutics in preclinical studies, and currently, small-molecule inhibitors and antisense oligonucleotides are being assessed in clinical trials as therapies to reduce the toxic hyperactivity of its kinase and/or reduce total levels of the protein in healthy individuals and people with PD