MINI REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neuroscience Methods and Techniques
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1584555
This article is part of the Research TopicNeuroengineering for health and disease: a multi-scale approachView all 5 articles
In vitro electrophysiological characterization of Parkinson's disease: challenges, advances, and future directions
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- 2San Martino Hospital (IRCCS), Genova, Liguria, Italy
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Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates. While significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic and biological aspects of Parkinson's disease, its complex pathophysiology remains poorly understood, and current therapeutic approaches are largely symptomatic. Advanced in vitro models have emerged as essential tools for studying Parkinson's disease related mechanisms and developing new therapeutic strategies.However, the electrophysiological characterization of neurons in these models remains underexplored. This review highlights the importance of employing electrophysiological techniques, such as patchclamp recordings and microelectrode arrays, in providing critical insights into neuronal dysfunction, synaptic impairments, and network disruptions in Parkinson's disease. The aim is to summarize the key discoveries in the electrophysiological characterization of the pathology and the related progress made in recent years, underlying the main challenges, including the lack of standardized protocols, and the heterogeneity of cellular sources and culture systems. Addressing these limitations is crucial for improving reproducibility and facilitating cross-study comparisons, allowing for a deeper understanding of Parkinson's disease pathophysiology. By refining and standardizing electrophysiological approaches, these efforts will enhance our understanding of Parkinson's disease's underlying mechanisms, ultimately accelerating the discovery of robust biomarkers and the development of more effective therapeutic strategies.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease, Electrophysiology, In vitro Models, patch-clamp, microelectrode arrays
Received: 27 Feb 2025; Accepted: 16 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Grasselli, Andolfi, Di Lisa and Pastorino. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Laura Pastorino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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