Scientists have developed a test that detects Parkinson's disease before symptoms appear
Kyiv • UNN
Scientists have developed a blood test that diagnoses Parkinson's disease at an early stage by analyzing RNA fragments. It has high accuracy and could "revolutionize" diagnostics.

Scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a simple and affordable blood test that can diagnose Parkinson's disease long before the first symptoms appear.
This is reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
About 153,000 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson's disease, and the scientists who conducted the study said that the test could "revolutionize" the early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, "paving the way for timely intervention and improved patient outcomes."
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder in which brain nerve cells are lost over time. This leads to a decrease in the level of the chemical dopamine, which plays an important role in controlling movement.
According to the media, this new test analyzes small fragments of genetic material, known as transfer RNA fragments (tRF), in the blood, paying particular attention to the RNA sequence that is repeated and accumulates in patients with Parkinson's disease.
It also considers a parallel decrease in mitochondrial RNA, which worsens as the disease progresses. Mitochondria exist inside cells and generate energy.
Researchers claim that by measuring the ratio between these biomarkers, the test "is a highly accurate, non-invasive, rapid, and affordable diagnostic tool that offers hope for early intervention and treatments that can change the course of the disease."
According to the Times, on a scale where 1 point indicates a perfect test and 0.5 shows that the test is no better than a coin toss, the test scored 0.86. According to a study published in the journal Nature Aging, the best clinical tests currently used in patients with early signs of the disease have a score of 0.73.
The test uses the same PCR technology that was used during the pandemic to confirm cases of Covid. It works by amplifying the genetic material targeted by the test, allowing it to be detected.
This discovery is a significant step forward in our understanding of Parkinson's disease and offers a simple, minimally invasive blood test as a tool for early diagnosis. By focusing on tRF, we have opened a new window into the molecular changes that occur in the early stages of the disease
Professor David Dexter, Director of Research at Parkinson's UK, said:
This study represents a new angle to explore in the search for a biological marker for Parkinson's disease. Further work is needed to further test and validate this potential test, especially to understand how it can distinguish between other conditions that have early signs similar to Parkinson's disease