Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

JMD : Journal of Movement Disorders

OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search

Author index

Page Path
HOME > Browse Articles > Author index
Search
Ayami Okuzumi 1 Article
Article image
α-Synuclein: A Promising Biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders
Taku Hatano, Ayami Okuzumi, Gen Matsumoto, Taiji Tsunemi, Nobutaka Hattori
J Mov Disord. 2024;17(2):127-137.   Published online April 9, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14802/jmd.24075
  • 3,832 View
  • 394 Download
  • 3 Web of Science
  • 3 Crossref
AbstractAbstract PDF
Mutations in the SNCA gene, which encodes α-synuclein (α-syn), play a key role in the development of genetic Parkinson’s disease (PD). α-Syn is a major component of Lewy bodies in PD and glial cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple system atrophy (MSA). Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder patients often progress to PD, dementia with Lewy bodies, or MSA, which are collectively known as α-synucleinopathies. The loss of dopaminergic neurons with Lewy bodies precedes motor dysfunction in these diseases, but the mechanisms of neurodegeneration due to α-syn aggregation are poorly understood. Monitoring α-syn aggregation in vivo could serve as a diagnostic biomarker and help elucidate pathogenesis, necessitating a simple and accurate detection method. Seed amplification assays (SAAs), such as real-time quaking-induced conversion and protein misfolding cyclic amplification, are used to detect small amounts of abnormally structured α-syn protofibrils, which are central to aggregation. These methods are promising for the early diagnosis of α-synucleinopathy. Differences in α-syn filament structures between α-synucleinopathies, as observed through transmission electron microscopy and cryo-electron microscopy, suggest their role in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. SAAs may differentiate between subtypes of α-synucleinopathy and other diseases. Efforts are also being made to identify α-syn from blood using various methods. This review introduces body fluid α-syn biomarkers based on pathogenic α-syn seeds, which are expected to redefine α-synucleinopathy diagnosis and staging, improving clinical research accuracy and facilitating biomarker development.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Selective detection of alpha synuclein amyloid fibrils by faradaic and non-faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopic approaches
    Hussaini Adam, Subash C.B. Gopinath, Hemavathi Krishnan, Tijjani Adam, Makram A. Fakhri, Evan T. Salim, A. Shamsher, Sreeramanan Subramaniam, Yeng Chen
    Bioelectrochemistry.2025; 161: 108800.     CrossRef
  • Hypoxia Pathways in Parkinson’s Disease: From Pathogenesis to Therapeutic Targets
    Yuanyuan Gao, Jiarui Zhang, Tuoxian Tang, Zhenjiang Liu
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2024; 25(19): 10484.     CrossRef
  • Circadian rhythm disruption: a potential trigger in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis
    Ke Xu, Yu Zhang, Yue Shi, Yake Zhang, Chengguang Zhang, Tianjiao Wang, Peizhu Lv, Yan Bai, Shun Wang
    Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef

JMD : Journal of Movement Disorders Twitter
Close layer
TOP