Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in induced pluripotent stem cell models of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Two percent of the population above the age of 60 is affected by the disease. The pathological hallmarks of PD include loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of Lewy bodies. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are thought to play a pivotal role in both sporadic and familial forms of the disease. In this review we focus on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) models of PD.We also provide an overview of therapeutics that have been tested and some possible new therapeutics that can be tested in IPSC models of PD.