BIOMARKERS IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Abstract

Given recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and the prospects of neuroprotective therapies, it is imperative to develop novel biomarkers which could facilitate the diagnosis and follow up of afflicted patients. Such biomarkers could involve measurements in biological materials, imaging or clinical markers. In the current review we will focus on wet biomarkers, mainly those involving cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Alpha-synuclein CSF levels currently represents a possible bio-marker. PPMI study (Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative) is an observational clinical study - milestone which aims to identify biomarkers for the progression of Parkinson's disease and to develop the largest collection of clinical, imaging and biological data ever created concerning a group of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The part of this study (with Greek participation) assessing patients with genetic forms of the disease, such as carriers of the p.A53T mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene and of GBA1 mutations in the gene encoding for beta-glucocerebrosidase is of particular interest.