2023-04-21 15:48:00
The detection of biomarkers is now common for many diseases, but no such marker existed for Parkinson’s disease. This disease can significantly affect the quality of life and diagnosis is not easy, especially in younger patients. Therefore, the discovery by scientists who have found a way to find biomarkers in the brain and cells that point to the key pathology of Parkinson’s disease is of enormous importance.
One such biomarker called “abnormal alpha-synuclein” is now being used to diagnose pathology in the spinal cord in patients or those at high risk for the disease who are not yet showing symptoms. The test results are very promising, as 93 percent of the subjects actually had abnormal alpha-synuclein.
dr Todd Sherer was excited about this discovery: “It has never before been possible to see whether living subjects have alpha-synuclein biological changes in their bodies.” Similar to amyloid in Alzheimer’s, the protein alpha-synuclein can accumulate improperly in the nervous system, causing neuronal damage that can lead to the development of Parkinson’s disease. Until now, only postmortem analysis has been able to confirm the presence of lumps.
The scientists tested about 1,123 samples of spinal fluid and showed that the test affected fewer than five percent of people without Parkinson’s disease was abnormal. The co-founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation was touched and excited by this discovery.
Blood or nasal swabs can now also be used to perform optimized tests to detect abnormal synuclein.
It remains to be seen to what extent this biomarker will prove itself in clinical practice. However, the discovery could represent a significant advance in diagnosis and Treatment represent.
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