New EU project TRACE-PD: Revolutionary research on early Parkinson's diagnosis

New EU project TRACE-PD: Revolutionary research on early Parkinson's diagnosis

A new European project called TRACE-PD will be launched on June 1, 2025. The main aim of this collaborative project is to improve the understanding of Parkinson's disease in its early stages, before the first symptoms appear. The coordination is carried out by the Philipps University of Marburg under the direction of Prof. Dr. David Pedrosa. This initiative, which has a total budget of around 1.3 million euros, is funded by the EU research initiative Joint Program – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND). The Marburg part of this project receives national funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) amounting to 266,000 euros.

TRACE-PD investigates central mechanisms of disease progression and aims to identify new biomarkers. Particular attention is paid to the resilience and compensation mechanisms of the brain. For this purpose, multicenter data sets from patients in the early phase of the disease are analyzed. These analyzes include modern methods such as EEG, MEG, PET, SPECT and MRI. There is also an international collaboration, which also includes studies at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, to research the effect of compensatory processes in dopamine replacement therapies.

The phases of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is the most common form of Parkinson's syndrome in Germany. The course is typically divided into two phases: the prodromal stage and the clinical phase. In the prodromal stage, which can last several years, there are hardly any motor symptoms. However, depressive moods, constipation, loss of sense of smell and REM sleep disorders are common side effects. In the clinical phase, however, motor symptoms manifest themselves and worsen over time. Although these can be easily treated with medication at the beginning, the effectiveness increasingly decreases.

The course of Parkinson's disease is divided into five stages:

• Stadium 1: Symptome wie Zittern auf einer Körperseite, kaum Einfluss auf den Alltag.
• Stadium 2: Verstärkung der Symptome, Bewegungseinschränkungen auf beiden Seiten, Schwierigkeiten beim Erledigen alltäglicher Aufgaben.
• Stadium 3: Deutliche Bewegungsverlangsamung, erhöhtes Sturzrisiko, Einschränkungen im Alltag.
• Stadium 4: Voll ausgeprägte Symptome, schwere Beeinträchtigungen, eingeschränkte Selbstständigkeit.
• Stadium 5: Fortgeschrittene Symptome, erhebliche Beinschmerzen und Steifheit, häufige Betreuung notwendig.

The need for biomarkers

One of the major challenges in Parkinson's research is the development of therapies that can have a lasting impact on the course of the disease. Currently, treatment is primarily symptomatic. The identification of biomarkers is crucial. These measurable biological indicators could make it possible to detect the disease process early and thus advance the development of disease-modifying therapies.

A significant advance was made with the discovery of misfolded alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid or blood. This biomarker-based approach could enable early diagnosis, potentially up to ten years before the onset of motor symptoms. A new seed amplification assay (SAA) provides 97% accuracy for the detection of alpha-synuclein, representing a breakthrough in diagnostic technology.

The research aims to enable the transition from symptomatic to preventive-personalized therapeutic approaches by 2040. Professor Brit Mollenhauer emphasizes that realistic progress in Parkinson's research can be expected within the next one to two decades. She is sure that the development of new therapies and diagnostic tools will improve the quality of life for patients with Parkinson's.