Development of LRRK2 inhibitors through computational strategies: a promising avenue for Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that remains incurable. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) has a pivotal role in PD pathogenesis, making it a promising therapeutic target. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop structurally diverse, highly selective, blood–brain barrier (BBB)-permeable LRRK2 inhibitors. Computer-aided and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug design methods have shown significant advantages in the discovery of LRRK2 inhibitors. Building upon a systematic review of structural characteristics, biological functions, and molecular mechanisms of LRRK2, in this review, we summarize recent advances in LRRK2 inhibitor development, highlighting the pivotal role of computational approaches in accelerating inhibitor discovery.