A way to detect Parkinson’s disease early has been found

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most mysterious and devastating disorders of the nervous system. It usually only manifests itself when motor function has markedly deteriorated and the brain has already been irreversibly damaged. Traditional diagnosis is often inaccurate because symptoms overlap with other disorders.

Specialists from the PRODI Protein Diagnostics Center at Ruhr University Bochum and the biotechnology company betaSENSE have taken an important step forward. They have discovered a biomarker in the cerebrospinal fluid that helps to pinpoint Parkinson’s disease at an early stage.

The main blow in this disease falls on the neurons that produce dopamine. Their gradual death leads to noticeable movement disorders. Despite the fact that drugs with dopamine temporarily relieve symptoms, they do not eliminate the true cause of the disease. One of the main causes of the destruction was the incorrect assembly of the alpha-synuclein protein, which takes on a defective shape instead of its normal structure.

As Professor Klaus Gerwert, head of the PRODI Center and CEO of betaSENSE, explains, the incorrect shape of alpha-synuclein makes it sticky. This sets off a chain of events: protein molecules combine into oligomers, which then form long fibers. Over time, they stick together into so-called Levi’s corpuscles, damaging the brain.

The new method was tested on two independent groups of patients, with 134 people participating in the study. Using the patented iRS (immuno-infrared sensor) technology, it became possible to determine the presence of Parkinson’s disease from cerebrospinal fluid samples with an accuracy of over 90%.

Using the accumulated knowledge, the team was able to adapt the approach to a new target – detecting abnormalities in the structure of alpha-synuclein. According to Klaus Gerwer, this not only allows for earlier diagnosis, but also for monitoring the progression of the disease and evaluating the effectiveness of therapy. In addition to early diagnosis, the new technology can significantly accelerate drug development. With its help, it is possible to quickly understand how effective new drugs are even at the clinical trial stage.