Non-Invasive Skin Biopsy Test Allows Clinicians to Look inside Nerves for Diagnosing Neurodegenerative Disorders

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 24 Mar 2023

Image: Syn-One Test is the only commercially available skin-based test that aids diagnosis of synucleinopathies (Photo courtesy of CND)

The diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, or multiple system atrophy can pose significant challenges for clinicians. According to scientific studies, these disorders are misdiagnosed over 30% of the time, particularly during the early stages of presentation. Over the years, researchers have searched for biomarkers in the blood and spinal fluid and employed advanced radiographic methods to image neuron changes in the brain. However, these tests have not been sufficiently sensitive or specific, often failing to detect individuals with the diseases or indicating disease consistency in those who do not have them.

CND Life Sciences (Phoenix, AZ, USA) has developed the first-ever test in the market that can examine the nerves inside the human body and detect the protein accumulation in individuals with synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, pure autonomic failure, and REM sleep behavior disorder. These diseases are characterized by the accumulation of a misfolded protein called alpha-synuclein in the nervous system, which is unique to individuals with synucleinopathies.

The Syn-One Test is a minimally invasive skin biopsy (a punch biopsy with no stitches required) that provides physicians with visual evidence of these proteins accumulating within a patient’s nerves. Skin punch biopsy is an effective, reliable, non-invasive test for detecting such proteins, and can help find a cure for these neurodegenerative diseases. The reliability and effectiveness of this minimally invasive test have gained the attention of hundreds of clinicians across the US who are now using it as a diagnostic aid for the early detection of these synucleinopathies.

"Syn-One is changing the way clinicians diagnose many of these complex neurodegenerative diseases, and in parallel, biopharmaceutical companies are realizing how important it is to use Syn-One as a biomarker for clinical trials targeting alpha-synuclein," said Todd Levine, MD, CND's Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder.

Related Links:
CND Life Sciences