Blood test for early diagnosis of Parkinson ’ s shows promise
It could also facilitate discovery of better treatments
Anovel blood test has successfully detected
Parkinson ’ s disease , raising hopes it will provide a tool to diagnose the debilitating condition before it can cause significant damage , according to a study published in �cie�ce ��a�slatio�al �e�ici�e .
The condition progressively affects the nervous system and the brain , potentially leading to involuntary shaking of some parts of the body ( usually the hands ), muscle stiffness , or slowing of movement . If the condition progresses to an advanced stage , people can have di�culty performing daily activities . A key challenge , therefore , is to diagnose the disease early , and a team of researchers from the Duke School of Medicine has now done that by identifying signs of Parkinson ’ s in people ’ s blood .
“ Currently , Parkinson ’ s disease is diagnosed largely based on clinical symptoms after significant neurological damage has already occurred ,” said senior author Dr Laurie Sanders , an associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine , in a press release . “ A simple blood test would allow us to diagnose the disease earlier and start therapies sooner ,” she added . “ Additionally , a clear-cut diagnosis would accurately identify patients who could participate in drug studies , leading to the development of better treatments and potentially even cures .”
To identify the disease , the scientists looked at DNA damage in the mitochondria , the so-called factories that power cells , as damaged mitochondrial DNA was previously associated with a higher risk of Parkinson ’ s . The new test is based on the standard polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) technology and allowed the team at Duke to diagnose the disease by detecting significant DNA damage in patient blood samples . Particularly high levels of damage were observed in people with the genetic mutation LRRK2 , which is linked to increased risk of Parkinson ’ s . The test was able to distinguish between the samples from people with Parkinson ’ s and those of healthy individuals .
In particular , the test detected DNA damage in people with LRRK2 but no symptoms , suggesting it could identify patients before the disease reaches an advanced stage even if they don ’ t carry LRRK2 .
Researchers hope the new test will not only act as a diagnostic tool but also help pinpoint both the medications that could stop or reverse mitochondrial damage and the patients who might benefit from them . This would result in major advancements as current treatments can only temporarily improve symptoms .
A drug that targets LRRK2 was able to reduce mitochondrial DNA damage in cultured cells from Parkinson ’ s patients and is now being tested in clinical trials . The team at Duke says the new test could determine whether the experimental drug is helping patients .
Particularly high levels of damage were observed in people with the genetic mutation LRRK2 , which is linked to increased risk of Parkinson ’ s
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019
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