A straightforward skin swab, inspired by the abilities of ‘super smellers’, could identify Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before symptoms manifest. While it has been known for some time that dogs and certain individuals possess the remarkable ability to ‘sniff out Parkinson’s’ prior to the onset of symptoms, no test has successfully replicated this until now.
However, experts from the University of Manchester have discovered that sebum – the oil in human skin – contains minuscule traces of chemicals that suggest a person might be in the initial stages of Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s affects around 166,000 people in the UK. British rock star Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away yesterday (Tuesday, July 22), lived with the disease for over twenty years prior to his death.
What did the research find?
The University of Manchester study, published in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease, reveals that compounds or ‘volatiles’ present in sebum carry crucial biomarkers for early detection of Parkinson’s. Utilising a method known as Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS), scientists from The University of Manchester, in partnership with Salford Royal NHS Trust and the Medical University of Innsbruck, analysed skin swabs from participants with Parkinson’s, healthy volunteers, and those suffering from a sleep disorder named isolated REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (iRBD) – a recognised precursor of Parkinson’s disease.
The findings indicated that individuals with iRBD had unique chemical profiles in their sebum that differed from healthy subjects, but were not as distinct as those with confirmed Parkinson’s disease. This reinforces the notion that Parkinson’s disease leaves a discernible mark on the body well before physical symptoms emerge, explains the Express.
Joy Milne – who has appeared on television programmes thanks to her extraordinary ‘super smelling’ abilities and who sparked the research – was also capable of differentiating swabs from individuals with iRBD from both the control group and Parkinson’s sufferers. Remarkably, she managed to identify both conditions in two of the samples taken from iRBD participants, who subsequently received Parkinson’s diagnoses at their following clinical visit after the sampling process.
Professor Perdita Barran, Professor of Mass Spectrometry at The University of Manchester, explained: “This is the first study to demonstrate a molecular diagnostic method for Parkinson’s disease at the prodromal or early stage. It brings us one step closer to a future where a simple, non-invasive skin swab could help identify people at risk before symptoms arise allowing for earlier intervention and improved outcomes.”
The research encompassed more than 80 participants, comprising 46 individuals with Parkinson’s, 28 healthy controls, and nine with iRBD. Researchers identified 55 significant characteristics in the sebum that differed between the groups.
Participants with iRBD frequently displayed levels that fell between the healthy controls and the Parkinson’s cohort, strengthening the potential for detecting the disease during its early stages.
Dr Drupad Trivedi, a researcher from The University of Manchester, developed a model that analysed the markers in a longitudinal sampling study. Over a three-year period, he gathered samples from Parkinson’s patients and identified patterns suggesting that this method could also be utilised to track the disease’s progression. This could potentially refine treatment options and enhance patient outcomes.
Sebum can be easily collected using gauze swabs from the face or upper back, making it an ideal candidate for non-invasive routine screening and regular monitoring. The team’s previous research has also demonstrated that sebum doesn’t require the same cold storage conditions as other biofluids like blood, thus reducing associated costs.
This research was inspired by the observations of Joy Milne, which led researchers at The University of Manchester to investigate sebum as a potential source of diagnostic biomarkers. By employing mass spectrometry, a technique that measures molecular weight, they discovered distinctive Parkinson’s markers in sebum. This discovery has led to the development of this non-invasive swab test.
These findings have been recently corroborated in another paper published today in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. In this study, trained dogs were able to detect Parkinson’s with remarkable accuracy by sniffing skin swabs from patients recruited by Prof Barren and Dr Trivedi.
When will the test be available?
As the skin swab is still in a developmental phase, it may be a while before it is available to the public. Currently, the researchers are working on further developing and refining the sebum-based testing with the aim of eventually implementing it as a practical tool in real-world clinical settings.
Dr Drupad Trivedi, a Lecturer in Analytical Measurement Sciences at The University of Manchester, commented: “Our goal is to develop a reliable, non-invasive test that helps doctors detect Parkinson’s earlier, track its progression, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
He added: “We’re also keen to hear from other hyperosmic individuals, potential ‘super smellers’ like Joy, whose remarkable sense of smell could help extend our work to detect other diseases with potential odour signatures.”
Why is early detection important?
While earlier detection of Parkinson’s would not have a huge impact on the way it is currently treated, it would give scientists and doctors more scope to find a wider variety of treatments, with a higher chance that these treatments would be successful, according to Parkinsons.org.uk. It would also mean there would be more information available for clinical trials, and could help identify promising treatments that could slow down the progression of the disease.
Symptoms to look out for
Annually, about 18,000 Britons are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, contributing to the more than 10 million patients globally. The disease incurs an annual cost of over £725 million to the NHS.
Early indicators of Parkinson’s include symptoms such as a tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement, and loss of smell, while balance issues and muscle cramps are also frequent signs. The condition stems from the demise of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain, although the exact cause of this cell death remains under investigation by experts.
It is believed that a mix of genetic mutations and environmental factors may be responsible, with the risk of developing Parkinson’s increasing with age, predominantly affecting those over 50.
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