Rab proteins as diagnostic biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review

Purpose

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. PD is typically diagnosed at late-stage, concurrent with loss of up to 70% of these neurons so patient care could be improved by diagnosis at prodromal stages. The occurrence of Parkinsonian-like diseases also understores the importance of accurate differential diagnosis, yet no biomarkers are currently used in clinical settings to minimize diagnostic errors. The Rab family of GTPases has been implicated in the PD pathogenesis, with protein levels elevated in pre-clinical models. This review evaluates the utility of Rab proteins as a biomarker for PD.