Spatial Omics Enable Improved Pathophysiology-based Diagnosis of Parkinson´s Disease Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies

We propose an innovative interdisciplinary research environment to investigate the pathophysiology of dementia in Parkinson’s disease (PDD) and Lewy Body dementia (LBD). Based on the identified molecular fingerprints we will also develop diagnostic and prognostic wet biomarkers. PDD and LBD are difficult to diagnose in the clinic and no diagnostic test is available.

Differentiation from parkinsonian plus syndromes and Alzheimer’s disease is a major challenge and will be examined.

The research environment consists of a unique combination of spatial omics methodologies, i.e., spatial transcriptomics, -proteomics, and -mass spectrometry combined with state-of-the-art bioinformatic tools.

We synthesise chemical tools to enable detection low-abundant potential biomarkers compatible with the spatial analysis of a particular imaging modality. Clinical samples are available from the Stockholm BioPark cohort and King’s College Dementia Brain biobank. First, we will examine a comprehensive set of cortical post-mortem brains from control, PD, PDD and LBD.

The biomarker potential of pathologically relevant molecules will then be assessed in CSF and plasma from a cohort of 650 patients.

We aim at stimulating the needed of collaborations in correlated spatial omics, promoting and disseminating its benefits, and paving the way for its technological advancement and implementation in the neurological field to ultimately impact on clinically unmet medical needs for PDD and LBD patients.