Latest news with #biomarkers
Times
7 hours ago
- Health
- Times
Simple blood test could provide first reliable diagnosis for ME
Scientists have found biological signatures in the blood of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), a breakthrough that could lead to the first reliable test for the debilitating condition. ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), affects an estimated 400,000 people in the UK. Symptoms can include pain, brain fog and extremely low energy levels that do not improve with rest. These often become dramatically worse after even minor physical effort, a phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise. There is no cure and the cause is unknown. A diagnosis is typically made by ruling out other illnesses, a process that can take years. The new study, led by researchers from Edinburgh University, may mark a turning point. Using data from the UK Biobank, they compared blood samples from 1,455 ME patients with those of more than 131,000 healthy people and identified dozens of molecules that differed in concentrations between the two, as well as different cell counts. The changes in the ME patients, who all had mild to moderate forms of the disease, were largely related to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and liver dysfunction. The findings were replicated in a group of American patients and healthy controls. Professor Chris Ponting, of the university's Institute of Genetics and Cancer, said: 'For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. It's not. We see [it] in their blood. 'Evidence of a large number of replicated and diverse blood biomarkers that differentiate between ME/CFS cases and controls should dispel any lingering perception it is caused by deconditioning and exercise intolerance.' The study found 116 'biomarkers' for ME in the blood of men and women with the condition — a key finding, because ME can affect the sexes differently. These markers did not change according to how active the patients were, consistent with the view that graded exercise therapy, which aims to gradually increase activity levels, is unlikely to be helpful. The strongest differences were found in people who reported post-exertional malaise, which may underscore its central role in the illness. Dr Sjoerd Beentjes, of the university's School of Mathematics, said: 'Blood differences are sometimes attributed to reduced activity levels rather than ME/CFS directly. Our study provides strong evidence ME/CFS affects blood traits through paths other than activity.' The authors stressed that the research was at an early stage with no guarantees a test would be possible. The government pledged last year to improve ME research and the NHS agreed to assess services for patients across England after an inquest into the death at 27 of Maeve Boothby O'Neill in 2021. She had suffered from ME since she was a teenager. The daughter of Sarah Boothby and Sean O'Neill, a senior journalist at The Times, she was left bedbound, unable to speak and malnourished. The coroner issued a prevention of future deaths report in October, the first of its kind for ME, and urged Wes Streeting, the health secretary, NHS officials and health bodies to take action to address the 'non-existent' care and lack of funding for research.
Fast Company
13 hours ago
- Health
- Fast Company
Ear wax may hold the key to early Parkinson's diagnosis
An unlikely body byproduct may be able to help doctors diagnose Parkinson's Disease early. According to a new Chinese study, which was published in Analytical Chemistry, ear canal secretion, or ear wax, contain chemical compounds which can be telltale signs of Parkinson's. During the study, researchers examined ear canal secretions from 209 people. About half (108 of the participants) had Parkinson's. In their examinations, scientists were able to identify four volatile organic compounds (VOC) that were notably different in those with the disease. Those compounds, or biomarkers, were ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane. The scientists then trained an artificial intelligence olfactory (AIO) system on the biomarker data. And once training was complete, the AIO system was able to successfully determine which patients had Parkinson's and which did not. The system was accurate 94% of the time. Currently, Parkinson's is a tough disease to diagnose. According to Mayo Clinic, it requires expensive imaging, neurological tests, blood tests, genetic testing, and more. And often, a diagnosis is still often not conclusive. Likewise, treatment is a work-in-progress, with current therapies aimed at slowing progression rather than curing it. Therefore, ear wax testing could be a breakthrough first-step screening tool that's inexpensive, noninvasive, and accessible. The researchers who worked on the study say the findings are a major step in Parkinson's early detection, which currently, doesn't exist, but that more research is needed. 'This method is a small-scale single-center experiment in China,' study coauthor Hao Dong said in a press release. Hoa Dong continued, 'The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers and among multiple ethnic groups, in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value.'
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Early signs of Parkinson's disease could be found in your ear
Researchers have developed a new system that could enable early detection of Parkinson's disease by analysing ear wax. The method identifies specific volatile organic compounds in sebum, the main ingredient of ear wax, which are altered in individuals with Parkinson's. Scientists swabbed the ear canals of 209 participants and identified four distinct compounds that serve as potential biomarkers for the condition. An artificial intelligence olfactory system was trained with this data, achieving 94 per cent accuracy in categorising samples from individuals with and without Parkinson's. This AI -powered system could serve as an inexpensive, first-line screening tool for Parkinson's, though further multi-centre research is needed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How your ear wax could tell you if you have Parkinson's disease, according to experts
Could your ear wax tell you if you have Parkinson's disease? Some 90,000 people are diagnosed with the degenerative neurological condition in the U.S. each year, and annual deaths have surged in recent decades to tens of thousands. Now, researchers at the American Chemical Society claim they have developed a new system that could help catch the disease at an early stage. The identifier is in the odor of ear wax's main ingredient, known as sebum. The oily substance is produced by the body to lubricate and protect the skin. Sebum from people with Parkinson's may have a characteristic and musky smell because the volatile organic compounds released by sebum are altered by disease progression. This association has been identified in previous research. To identify the compounds released by sebum in people with the disease, the researchers swabbed the ear canals of 209 participants, more than half of which were diagnosed with the condition. Then, they analyzed what was collected using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. Four of the volatile organic compounds they found in people with Parkinson's were different than people without it. Those include ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane. The researchers said they are potential biomarkers for Parkinson's. Using these findings, published this week in the journal Analytical Chemistry, they were able to develop a system that inexpensively screens for Parkinson's. They trained an artificial intelligence olfactory system - a robotic model that can mimic how we smell - with their ear wax compound data. Using the model, they found it was able to categorize samples with and without Parkinson's with 94 percent accuracy. Some 1.1 million Americans are living with Parkinson's right now. Because most treatments for Parkinson's only slow the progression of disease, catching it early is critical. Current testing is also costly, and can be subjective. This AI system, the researchers say, could be used as a first-line screening tool for early detection. 'This method is a small-scale single-center experiment in China,' explained author Hao Dong. 'The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers and among multiple ethnic groups, in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value.'
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
How your ear wax could tell you if you have Parkinson's disease, according to experts
Some 90,000 people are diagnosed with the degenerative neurological condition in the U.S. each year, and annual deaths have surged in recent decades to tens of thousands. Now, researchers at the American Chemical Society claim they have developed a new system that could help catch the disease at an early stage. The identifier is in the odor of ear wax's main ingredient, known as sebum. The oily substance is produced by the body to lubricate and protect the skin. Sebum from people with Parkinson's may have a characteristic and musky smell because the volatile organic compounds released by sebum are altered by disease progression. This association has been identified in previous research. To identify the compounds released by sebum in people with the disease, the researchers swabbed the ear canals of 209 participants, more than half of which were diagnosed with the condition. Then, they analyzed what was collected using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. Four of the volatile organic compounds they found in people with Parkinson's were different than people without it. Those include ethylbenzene, 4-ethyltoluene, pentanal, and 2-pentadecyl-1,3-dioxolane. The researchers said they are potential biomarkers for Parkinson's. Using these findings, published this week in the journal Analytical Chemistry, they were able to develop a system that inexpensively screens for Parkinson's. They trained an artificial intelligence olfactory system - a robotic model that can mimic how we smell - with their ear wax compound data. Using the model, they found it was able to categorize samples with and without Parkinson's with 94 percent accuracy. Some 1.1 million Americans are living with Parkinson's right now. Because most treatments for Parkinson's only slow the progression of disease, catching it early is critical. Current testing is also costly, and can be subjective. This AI system, the researchers say, could be used as a first-line screening tool for early detection. 'This method is a small-scale single-center experiment in China,' explained author Hao Dong. 'The next step is to conduct further research at different stages of the disease, in multiple research centers and among multiple ethnic groups, in order to determine whether this method has greater practical application value.'
