Scientists from the Medical University of Gdańsk and the University of Gdańsk have obtained a patent for a method designed to diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, before the first motor symptoms appear.
The method uses hydrogen peroxide and 17β-estradiol and its metabolites as biomarkers in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
According to Maciej Pietrzak from the Medical University of Gdańsk, the technology is based on the use of specific chemicals as biomarkers.
The patented method, titled 'Method for In Vitro Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease', is intended to enable non-invasive, quick and inexpensive diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at an early stage.
Professor Magdalena Górska-Ponikowska, who led the team, says that Parkinson’s disease is currently diagnosed primarily on the basis of clinical assessment.
'A neurologist bases the diagnosis on the patient's interview and examination, looking for a characteristic set of motor symptoms. Imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging or dopaminergic imaging, can support diagnosis or help differentiate other causes of Parkinsonism, but they are not a simple screening test for diagnosing the disease in a person without typical motor symptoms', Górska-Ponikowska adds in a press release sent to PAP.
The researchers are now preparing further scientific publications on the discovery and working on a commercial diagnostic test for use in medical practice.
(PAP)
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