Quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics of urinary extracellular vesicles define putative diagnostic biosignatures for Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects body movement because some brain cells stop producing the chemical dopamine. PD is often not diagnosed until it has advanced, making early detection crucial. To enable early detection, we investigated tiny packages called extracellular vesicles released from a variety of cells, including the brain cells, that can be found in urine as a potential source for diagnosing PD. These tiny packages contain different kinds of molecules from inside the cells. We analyzed urine samples from 138 individuals and found several proteins involved in PD development that could be biological indicators for early detection of the disease. We used various techniques to make sure that our findings were accurate. Our study suggests that looking at these proteins in urine could be a good way to detect PD in a non-invasive manner.