Objective: The diagnosis of PD is usually late and has only palliative treatments that seek to slow the progression of motor symptoms. These characteristics make it vital to investigate the pathology and the search for biomarkers such as exosomes and proteins.

Background: PD is a chronic, progressive and neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which causes motor deficits such as bradykinesia, stiffness, tremor, and postural instability, among others. An increase of proinflammatory cytokines in the blood and brain samples has been reported in PD patients. In addition, peripheral blood T cells recognized α-syn, triggering a chronic inflammation in PD’s peripheral and brain tissue. In Chile, there are no precise statistics on the prevalence of the disease, but there is an estimate of approximately 40,000 patients throughout the country.

Method: We sought to determine the content of two proteins in samples of Chilean patients with PD by obtaining and subsequently analyzing exosomal fractions from individuals’ blood samples and to seek a correlation of the expression of α-syn proteins in neuronal exosomal samples with the progression of the disease.

Results: In plasma-derived exosomal fractions, a significant increase in α-synuclein (α-syn) levels was observed in patients compared to the control group. Notably, a positive correlation was identified between α-syn protein levels and disease progression as measured by the Hoehn and Yahr scale.

Conclusion: This study ultimately aims to contribute to the direct identification of biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Additionally, it seeks to advance early detection and facilitate a more personalized approach to patient care, tailored to the individual’s disease stage and symptom profile

« Back to 2025 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/characterization-of-neuronal-exosomes-purified-from-plasma-of-parkinsons-disease-chilean-patients/