The design and development of LRRK2 inhibitors as novel therapeutics for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease affecting nearly 10 million people worldwide and placing a heavy medical burden on both society and families. However, due to the complexity of its pathological mechanisms, current treatments for PD can only alleviate patients' symptoms. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently sought in clinical practice. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) has emerged as a highly promising target for PD therapy. Missense mutations within the structural domain of LRRK2, the most common genetic risk factor for PD, lead to abnormally elevated kinase activity and increase the risk of developing PD. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structure, biological function, and pathogenic mutations of LRRK2, and examine recent advances in the development of LRRK2 inhibitors. We hope that this article will provide a reference for the design of novel LRRK2 inhibitors based on summarizing the facts and elucidating the viewpoints.