Grant awarded for Parkinson's disease research on early biomarkers

Parkinson’s disease today

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement and is characterised by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. It leads to unintended or uncontrollable movements, including tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. There may also be non-motor symptoms like cognitive impairments, mood disorders, sleep disturbances, and sensory issues. Symptoms typically develop slowly and worsen over time, impacting patients’ daily activities and quality of life.

While there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease and it is difficult to diagnose early, there are various treatments on the market that can help manage some of the symptoms and improve the quality of life for the millions of people affected worldwide. These treatments include:

• medications that increase dopamine levels in the brain or help manage motor and non-motor symptoms and side effects

• brain-stimulating surgeries

• physical, occupational, and speech therapies.

Early detection through blood tests

With the support of a grant awarded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research — through its accelerating biological understanding and translational approaches for the Parkinson’s disease program — and in collaboration with Amsterdam UMC, VITO is now starting up a two-year project called ‘EV-PREDICT: Identifying Early Biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease in Blood-Derived Neuronal Vesicles.’ In other words, our researchers will study extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are nanosized particles released by brain cells that contain proteins and fats. The composition of these proteins and fats reflects changes in the brain: research shows that a key feature of Parkinson’s disease is the abnormal build-up of a protein called alpha-synuclein in brain cells. VITO can analyse these brain-derived vesicles from the blood using proteomics, offering a less invasive way to detect disease-related changes early on.

The study is designed as follows: researchers will collect blood samples from 150 people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease and from 150 healthy individuals. From these samples, they will isolate extracellular vesicles specifically released by brain cells and study their contents using advanced laboratory techniques. The study team will compare proteins and fats found in the extracellular vesicles between the two groups to find patterns linked to Parkinson’s disease. By combining these findings with genetic and clinical data, the researchers’ goal is to identify markers in the blood that could help detect Parkinson’s early.

If successful, the EV-PREDICT study could lead to a simple blood test that helps detect Parkinson’s at an earlier stage, when treatments may be more effective. This blood test would also allow for better selection of patients for clinical trials. After this study, the most promising markers will be tested in larger and longer-term studies to see if they can also predict disease progression and treatment response, bringing us closer to personalised care for people with or at risk of Parkinson’s.
 

The importance of extracellular vesicles

“Extracellular vesicles are vital components of intercellular communication and hold significant promise for future diagnostic and therapeutic applications in medicine — like in this case for the early detection of Parkinson's disease. Their diverse roles and complex compositions make them a key area of study in cell biology and biomedical research.”

— Inge Mertens, R&D Applied Biomolecular Systems at VITO, and Principal Investigator of the EV-PREDICT study

Earlier biomarker research on dementia-causing diseases

VITO was invited by The Michael J. Fox Foundation to submit an application for this grant after our researchers published a preliminary study in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. In this study, they compared the protein build-up from extracellular vesicles in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia, the most common neurodegenerative disorders causing dementia. The goal was to identify novel biomarker candidates that have high potential for differential diagnosis, or that potentially provide targets for novel or repurposed pharmacotherapeutics. VITO currently has a patent pending for these proteins that can facilitate the early detection of these neurodegenerative disorders.
 

Overview of the proteomic comparison study

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, sponsor of the EV-PREDICT study, is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease and improving therapies for those living with the condition today. Learn more at michaeljfox.org.