© Bob Riha, Jr./Getty ImagesMichael J. Fox • 52nd Emmy Awards
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA • Sept. 10, 2000
Research revealed 93% of participants with Parkinson's had an abnormal test...
An international group of researchers has discovered a new tool that can reveal
a key pathology of Parkinson's disease in brain and body cells.
The identification of the new biomarker, known as abnormal alpha-synuclein, opens a new chapter for research, according to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
The foundation led the coalition and its landmark clinical study, Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). The findings were published Wednesday in the scientific journal
The Lancet Neurology.The tool, also known as
the α-synuclein seeding amplification assay, is able to detect pathology in spinal fluid both for those diagnosed with the disease and individuals who are at high risk of developing it but have not yet been diagnosed or exhibited clinical symptoms. The laboratory testing can confirm the presence of abnormal alpha-synuclein, which is detected in most people who have Parkinson's with what the foundation said was "astonishing accuracy."
Of those who participated in the testing, 93% were proven to have
abnormal alpha-synuclein.
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