Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis Goes Skin Deep

We’re told that “beauty is only skin deep” – but is that true for Parkinson’s disease? It’s one of the few diseases that can only be confirmed post-mortem, relying on clinical signs and symptoms until then. Because of this, diagnostic accuracy is poor, leading to frequent misdiagnoses. 

But a new study shows potential for early diagnosis (1). Researchers at Iowa State University optimized a real-time, quaking-induced conversion assay for detecting misfolded proteins in humans – testing 25 skin samples from Parkinson’s disease patients and 25 samples from people without neurological disease. The assay correctly detected clumping of alpha-synuclein proteins in 24/25 Parkinson’s disease patients and 1/25 controls.

With clinical trials hampered by misdiagnosed patients, the team hope that improving diagnostic accuracy through skin tissue testing will lead to better treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

Newsletters

Receive the latest pathology news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.

I have read and understand the Privacy Notice*

Subscribe

References

1. S Manne et al., Mov Disord, [Online ahead of print] (2020). PMID: 32960470.

About the Authors

Liv Gaskill

During my undergraduate degree in psychology and Master’s in neuroimaging for clinical and cognitive neuroscience, I realized the tasks my classmates found tedious – writing essays, editing, proofreading – were the ones that gave me the greatest satisfaction. I quickly gathered that rambling on about science in the bar wasn’t exactly riveting for my non-scientist friends, so my thoughts turned to a career in science writing. At Texere, I get to craft science into stories, interact with international experts, and engage with readers who love science just as much as I do.

More Articles by Liv Gaskill