What if a simple blood test could predict Parkinson’s?
A research team led by scientists at University College London and University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany, is getting closer to making that possibility a reality. In June, they published an article in “Nature Communications” on the subject.
In that article, the authors highlight the fact that “PD has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder,” but that there are also serious limitations when it comes to discovering and developing “disease-modifying and prevention strategies.”
Their work might narrow those limitations substantially.
Using artificial intelligence and a panel of eight blood biomarkers, the researchers write that they were able to identify 79% of people in the pre-motor stage of Parkinson’s, up to seven years before the onset of motor difficulties.
According to UCL, the team is currently working to verify the accuracy of their test by following up on those predicted to develop Parkinson’s.
As one of the authors, Professor Kevin Mills, says in UCL’s news story: “We need to diagnose patients before they have developed the symptoms. We cannot regrow our brain cells and therefore we need to protect those that we have.”
You can read the full article here.
