Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Parkinson's Disease: An Emerging Link

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by motor deficit. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic condition characterized by high glucose levels in the blood. The prevalence of chronic disorders like PD has significantly risen in recent decades. Emerging research has increasingly linked PD with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in recent years. Apart from the β-cells of the pancreas, insulin is secreted by the choroid plexus in the human brain which is essential for neuroprotection which regulates neurogenesis, oxidative stress, synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival, and neuro-inflammation. The abnormalities in the insulin signaling pathway may be responsible for neurodegeneration via insulin dysregulation, from the aggregation of α-synuclein, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered synaptic plasticity. DM or Insulin resistance is considered a risk factor for the development of PD. Due to the lack of treatment options for PD, consistent research is going on to find a potential drug as a treatment option for PD, and due to its molecular links, the antidiabetic drugs are considered as potential candidates for PD. This review will discuss the potential cellular mechanisms shared between T2DM and PD as well as the role of antidiabetics in this disease and clinical manifestations such as its severity and prognosis.