New Parkinson’s biomarker found in urine samples

A new study has identified a new type of biomarker in urine samples that could be used to aid the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham examined urine and cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with Parkinson's disease kept in freezers at the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's National Repository.

It was found that these samples contained LRRK2, a phosphorylated protein that correlates with the presence and severity of Parkinson's disease. It is usually found inside neurons in the brain and was not previously thought to appear in biofluids.

Approximately 20 percent of people without LRRK2 mutations and with Parkinson's were shown to demonstrate highly elevated phosphorylated LRRK2 levels similar to those with LRRK2 mutations – something that was not present in healthy controls.

It is hoped that this insight could make it possible to diagnose, monitor and better understand the disease.

Dr Andrew West and colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said: "I think the days of blindly testing new therapies for complex diseases like Parkinson's, without having active feedback both for on-target drug effects and for effectiveness in patients, are thankfully coming to an end."