Smell test spots Parkinson’s years earlier, and a new injection replaces daily pills |
Two significant advances in Parkinson’s research offer new hope to the 10 million people worldwide living with this progressive neurological condition. Scientists have developed both a simple skin test that could detect Parkinson’s years before symptoms appear and a weekly injection that could replace the burden of multiple daily pills.
The detection breakthrough centers on sebum, the oily substance your skin naturally produces. Researchers found that skin swabs can identify specific chemical compounds that differ in people with Parkinson’s. The discovery builds on earlier work inspired by Joy Milne, who could smell Parkinson’s disease on her husband 6 years before his diagnosis.
“A test that is a simple skin swab can potentially be the first test to detect Parkinson’s before all the clinical signs start appearing,” explained Dr. Drupad Trivedi from the University of Manchester, lead researcher on the skin swab study.
Meanwhile, Australian scientists have developed a weekly injection combining the two main Parkinson’s medications that slowly releases over 7 days. For patients who currently take multiple tablets daily, this could significantly improve quality of life and adherence to their medication.
“If this is safe and effective in humans, it could be an alternative for people with Parkinson’s,” noted Dr. Sneha Mantri, Chief Medical Officer for the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Both advances are in early research stages and need further testing in humans. However, they represent a potential shift from reactive treatment after symptoms appear to proactive detection and simplified management of the condition.
For more on how these advances could streamline Parkinson’s care, jump to “New weekly injection may eliminate need for daily pills in Parkinson’s” and “Skin swabs may help detect Parkinson’s years before symptoms appear.”
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