Plasma Proteomics Identify Biomarkers Predicting Parkinson’s Disease up to 7 Years Before Symptom Onset

Specific proteins in the blood have been identified to predicting Parkinson’s disease up to 7 years before symptom onset.

A recent study found that 23 different proteins may help predict Parkinson’s disease (PD) and help differentiate people who may develop PD. The study also discovered that people with isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) had inflammatory blood markers suggesting the role of inflammation in the development of PD.

Certain proteins change in people who are at risk of developing PD, even before emergence of the neurologic symptoms in the disease. This data contributes to our understanding of the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease and the utility of protein markers found in the blood that could potentially predict PD up to almost a decade before the condition ensues, allowing for earlier intervention. Future research will focus on validating these findings with more groups and improving the accuracy of these tests.