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PARKINSON DISEASE

Exosomal α-synuclein as a biomarker for Parkinson disease

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 16, pages 242–243 (2020)Cite this article

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The amount of α-synuclein contained within brain-derived exosomes in the blood can provide a biomarker of early-stage Parkinson disease (PD), according to a new study published in the European Journal of Neurology. The finding could lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease.

In individuals with PD, pathological α-synuclein accumulation in the brain begins years before the symptoms of the disease become apparent. Increased α-synuclein concentration in the blood has been proposed as a biomarker of early PD pathology; however, α-synuclein is produced by many different tissues, so identifying changes in brain-derived α-synuclein in the blood is challenging.

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  • Thompson, A. G. et al. Extracellular vesicles in neurodegenerative disease — pathogenesis to biomarkers. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 12, 346–357 (2016)

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  1. Nature Reviews Neurology http://www.nature.com/nrneurol/

    Sarah Lemprière

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  1. Sarah Lemprière
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Correspondence to Sarah Lemprière.

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Lemprière, S. Exosomal α-synuclein as a biomarker for Parkinson disease. Nat Rev Neurol 16, 242–243 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-020-0349-z

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