Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered a method to detect protein aggregation, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, potentially enabling diagnosis up to 15 years before symptoms appear.

This early detection could lead to preventive treatments for at-risk individuals, particularly those with genetic mutations common among Ashkenazi Jews.

Led by Prof. Uri Ashery and PhD student Ofir Sade, the team examined cells from Parkinson’s patients using super-resolution microscopy to detect abnormal aggregation of the alpha-synuclein protein, not in the brain, but in skin cells.