“We discovered two broad subgroups that can be divided into five smaller groups of parkinsonism,” says Prof. Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience).

Parkinson’s disease affects millions of people worldwide and is traditionally defined by its clinical symptoms, including movement difficulties and progressive neurological decline. However, despite being grouped as a single disorder, Parkinson’s can be caused by mutations in many different genes, leading to diverse underlying biological mechanisms. This complexity has challenged the development of effective treatments, as therapies targeting one pathway may not work for all patients.

The new study reveals that these genetically different forms of Parkinson’s can be organized into distinct molecular subtypes, highlighting the need to rethink the disease as a collection of related conditions and opening the door to more targeted therapeutic approaches.