This grant builds upon the research from a prior grant: 14-3-3 Phosphorylation as a Biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease
Study Rationale:
Disruption of 14-3-3s protein is implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recently, we observed that 14-3-3 phosphorylation — a chemical modification of 14-3-3s — is altered in PD brains compared to controls. We have also shown that we are able to measure phosphorylation of 14-3-3 proteins in blood samples and cerebrospinal fluid samples. In this study, we will test whether 14-3-3 phosphorylation levels in cerebrospinal fluid or blood can distinguish control from PD patients.
Hypothesis:
We hypothesize that 14-3-3 phosphorylation levels in cerebrospinal fluid or blood can distinguish control from PD patients.
Study Design:
We will measure 14-3-3 phosphorylation levels in cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples from people with PD and from age- and gender-matched controls. We will also optimize our methods for detecting 14-3-3 phosphorylation in biosamples.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease:
If our results are promising, this would suggest that 14-3-3 phosphorylation may serve as a biomarker for diagnosis and/or disease progression of PD.
Next Steps for Development:
If we find that 14-3-3 phosphorylation in spinal fluid or blood samples can distinguish controls from PD, future studies would determine (i) whether the level of 14-3-3 phosphorylation can serve as a biomarker to distinguish PD patients from patients with other neurodegenerative disorders, (ii) whether 14-3-3 phosphorylation levels can serve as a biomarker for disease severity and/or progression, and (iii) whether 14-3-3 phosphorylation can be used to detect PD in the pre-motor phase.