Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Nov 23, 2025 7 hours, 46 minutes ago
Medical News: Growing Interest in New Drug Approaches for Parkinsons Disease
Parkinson’s disease continues to affect millions worldwide, causing motor problems, loss of dopamine-producing neurons, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. With no cure available, researchers are urgently exploring new ways to slow or stop the disease. A team from the Federal University of Alfenas in Brazil has now provided one of the most extensive updates on monoamine oxidase inhibitors, also known as MAO inhibitors, positioning them as strong candidates for future Parkinson’s treatments. Their work, described in this
Medical News report, highlights how medicinal chemistry is rapidly advancing in this field.
New Advances in MAO Inhibitors Offer Hope for Parkinson’s Disease
Why MAO Inhibitors Matter in Parkinsons Disease
The enzyme MAO exists in two forms, MAO-A and MAO-B, and both are involved in breaking down dopamine and other neurotransmitters. In the brains of Parkinson’s patients, MAO-B activity increases, leading to higher levels of toxic byproducts that worsen oxidative stress and further damage neurons. Because MAO-B contributes so heavily to dopamine loss, researchers across multiple institutions are focused on developing new MAO-B–selective inhibitors that can protect brain cells, reduce inflammation, and work alongside existing treatments such as levodopa.
The study team from the PeQuiM Laboratory of Research in Medicinal Chemistry at the Federal University of Alfenas found nearly 300 new experimental compounds reported between 2010 and 2025, many showing improved selectivity and stronger neuroprotective potential than older drugs.
Promising New Chemical Families and How They Work
Among the most promising candidates are indazole derivatives, hydrazone-based compounds, pyrrole analogues, melatonin-inspired molecules, and several newly modified phthalide and indanone structures. Many of these new compounds demonstrated extremely strong MAO-B inhibition at nanomolar concentrations, far more potent than earlier drugs. Several candidates also showed additional benefits including anti-inflammatory activity, reduction of oxidative stress markers, and protection against toxins commonly used to model Parkinson’s disease in laboratory studies. Some compounds also displayed excellent predicted blood–brain barrier penetration, which is essential for real therapeutic use.
Conclusion
The authors emphasize that the past fifteen years have brought remarkable progress in the search for MAO-B inhibitors, with many new molecules showing impressive power, selectivity, and neuroprotective activity. Although more testing is required, these findings strongly suggest that the next generation of MAO-B inhibitors may offer safer, more effective treatment options for both early and advanced Parkinson’s disease. Their review also underscores the importance of medicinal chemistry in driving innovation and bringing forward drug candidates that can eventually change how this devastating c
ondition is treated. With ongoing research and refinement, several of these experimental compounds may soon progress into clinical development and open new therapeutic possibilities.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Pharmaceuticals
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/10/1526
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