Innovative Spinal Fluid Biomarker Enhances Early Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease

Researchers from the PRODI Center for Protein Diagnostics at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, in collaboration with biotech firm betaSENSE, have identified a novel biomarker in spinal fluid that can significantly improve the early detection of Parkinson's disease. Published on April 25, 2025, in EMBO Molecular Medicine, their study demonstrates that this biomarker enables clinicians to diagnose Parkinson's with high accuracy, well before the onset of advanced symptoms. Traditionally, Parkinson's disease is diagnosed based on motor symptoms, which tend to appear only after irreversible brain damage has occurred. This late diagnosis often complicates effective treatment. The new biomarker, associated with the misfolding of alpha-synuclein (αSyn), offers a promising solution by detecting pathological changes in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord early in the disease process.

Parkinson's disease involves the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to motor impairments. A key event in disease development is the misfolding of αSyn from its normal alpha-helical form into β-sheet-rich structures, forming toxic oligomers and eventually Lewy bodies. Professor Klaus Gerwert explains that these molecular changes cause the αSyn protein to become sticky, creating larger protein complexes that aggregate into fibrils and disrupt normal neural function.

Using the advanced immuno-infrared sensor (iRS) technology, the research team analyzed cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients at the Parkinson's centers in Bochum and Kassel. Their findings reveal that misfolded αSyn can be detected with over 90% sensitivity and specificity, making it a reliable biomarker for early diagnosis. Notably, this technology was previously utilized for Alzheimer's detection by tracking misfolded amyloid-beta (Aβ) proteins, enabling diagnosis up to 17 years before clinical symptoms appear. The successful adaptation of iRS for Parkinson's signifies a major breakthrough in neurodegenerative disease diagnostics.

Beyond diagnosis, this platform technology can facilitate the development and evaluation of new therapeutic agents, providing a tool to monitor treatment efficacy in clinical trials. The discovery paves the way for earlier interventions, potentially slowing or halting disease progression before significant brain damage occurs.

For more detailed information, see the original publication: Martin Schuler et al, "Alpha-synuclein misfolding as fluid biomarker for Parkinson's disease measured with the iRS platform," EMBO Molecular Medicine, 2025. Source: MedicalXpress.