Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32508331›Full record

ReviewJournal of Parkinson's disease2020

GDNF and Parkinson's Disease: Where Next? A Summary from a Recent Workshop.

Roger A Barker, Anders Björklund, Don M Gash, Alan Whone, Amber Van Laar, Jeffrey H Kordower, Krystof Bankiewicz, Karl Kieburtz, Mart Saarma, Sigrid Booms and 21 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of Parkinson's disease, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 88 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
88citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

88 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 132 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Clinical GDNF delivery methods for Parkinson's disease.Journal of Parkinson's disease · 2026
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Organosulfur Compounds: Potential Therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease.CNS & neurological disorders drug targets · 2026
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Review

28 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

31 authors at 20 institutions in 5 countries.

Roger A BarkerCambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and WT-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK.
Anders BjörklundWallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Don M GashProfessor Emeritus of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Alan WhoneTranslational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol and Neurological and Musculoskeletal Sciences Division, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
Amber Van LaarBrain Neurotherapy Bio Inc., Oakland, CA, USA.
Jeffrey H KordowerDepartment of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Krystof BankiewiczNeurological Surgery, Gilbert and Kathryn Mitchell Endowed Chair, Director, Brain Health and Performance Center, The Ohio State University, Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbus, OH, USA.
Karl KieburtzCenter for Health & Technology, and the Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Mart SaarmaInstitute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Sigrid BoomsHerantis Pharma Plc, Finland.
Henri J HuttunenHerantis Pharma Plc, Finland.
Adrian P KellsBrain Neurotherapy Bio Inc., Oakland, CA, USA.
Massimo S FiandacaBrain Neurotherapy Bio Inc., Oakland, CA, USA.
A Jon StoesslPacific Parkinson's Research Centre & Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada.
David EidelbergCenter for Neurosciences, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
Howard FederoffSchool of Medicine, Susan and Henry College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine and CEO, Aspen Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, USA.
Merja H VoutilainenInstitute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
David T DexterParkinson's UK, London, UK.
Jamie EberlingThe Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, New York, NY, USA.
Patrik BrundinCenter for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
Lyndsey IsaacsThe Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK.
Leah MursaleenThe Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK.
Eros BresolinThe Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK.
Camille CarrollUniversity of Plymouth, Faculty of Health, Plymouth, UK.
Alasdair ColesDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Brian FiskeThe Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, New York, NY, USA.
Helen MatthewsThe Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK.
Codrin LunguDivision of Clinical Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Rockville, MD, USA.
Richard K WyseThe Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK.
Simon StottThe Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK.
Anthony E LangThe Edmond J Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, and the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cure Parkinson's Trust · GBAduro BioTech (United States) · USUniversity of Helsinki · FIMichael J. Fox Foundation · USFeinstein Institute for Medical Research · USHerantis Pharma (Finland) · FILund University · SENational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · USNeurological Surgery · USNorth Bristol NHS Trust · GBParkinson's UK · GBRush University Medical Center · USUniversity of British Columbia · CAUniversity of California, Irvine · USUniversity of Cambridge · GBUniversity of Kentucky · USUniversity of Plymouth · GBUniversity of Rochester Medical Center · USUniversity of Toronto · CAVan Andel Institute · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The concept of repairing the brain with growth factors has been pursued for many years in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including primarily Parkinson's disease (PD) using glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). This neurotrophic factor was discovered in 1993 and shown to have selective effects on promoting survival and regeneration of certain populations of neurons including the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. These observations led to a series of clinical trials in PD patients including using infusions or gene delivery of GDNF or the related growth factor, neurturin (NRTN). Initial studies, some of which were open label, suggested that this approach could be of value in PD when the agent was injected into the putamen rather than the cerebral ventricles. In subsequent double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, the most recent reporting in 2019, treatment with GDNF did not achieve its primary end point. As a result, there has been uncertainty as to whether GDNF (and by extrapolation, related GDNF family neurotrophic factors) has merit in the future treatment of PD. To critically appraise the existing work and its future, a special workshop was held to discuss and debate this issue. This paper is a summary of that meeting with recommendations on whether there is a future for this therapeutic approach and also what any future PD trial involving GDNF and other GDNF family neurotrophic factors should consider in its design.

Indexed as

AnimalsDopaminergic NeuronsGenetic TherapyGlial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic FactorHumansNeuroprotective AgentsParkinson DiseaseGDNF protein, humanGlial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic FactorNeuroprotective Agentsclinical trialsdopaminergic neuronsGDNFNRTNParkinson’s disease

Identifiers

PMID32508331
PMCPMC7458523
OpenAlexW3033680283

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.