New Blood Test can Diagnose and Monitor Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease, University of Melbourne and Howard Florey Institute Scientists Find

While Florey researchers have also created a genetic test for PD (10% of PD cases are caused by genetic factors), this new test has a broader application by screening for many different types of PD and monitoring treatment, as well as measuring the effectiveness of drugs being developed to treat the disease.Dr Qiao-Xin Li and colleagues from The University of Melbourne and The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, along with Prof Malcolm Horne from the Howard Florey Institute, found people with PD had low levels of the brain-secreted protein ?lpha-synuclein?in their blood, while people without PD had high levels of the protein.>>> Discuss This Story

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