Detecting Parkinson’s Disease with Copan FLOQSwabs®

Synucleinopathies are a diverse group of diseases caused by structural abnormalities in the protein α-Synuclein (αSyn), leading to intracellular accumulation of αSyn aggregates.   The most common synucleinopathy, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is classically diagnosed based on clinical motor symptoms and brain imaging, but this tends to mean that PD is diagnosed in its later stages when debilitating symptoms are already present.  Recent advances in seed amplification assay (SAA) offer a tool for detecting PD and other neurodegenerative diseases at an earlier stage by identifying αSyn misfolding in body fluid and tissue samples.  These tests require only minimally invasive sampling methods, which can be conducted using Copan FLOQSwabs®.

Two recent publications have explored the applications of SAA:

• Olfactory swab sampling optimization for α-synuclein aggregate detection in patients with Parkinson’s disease (2022) 
  The efficacy of using an αSyn SAA from nasal mucosa swabs was studied. The authors report that αSyn aggregates were reliably detected in patients with PD, supporting the potential of this technique as a diagnostic biomarker.
  
  
• Advancing Parkinson's diagnosis: seed amplification assay for α-synuclein detection in minimally invasive samples (2025)
  A review of SAA for detection of α-Syn aggregates in samples collected via minimally invasive procedures from skin, olfactory mucosa, saliva, and blood. The roles of sample collection, processing, and reaction conditions are discussed. The authors emphasise that standardisation of sampling and test protocols is essential to improve assay reliability and enable accurate patient identification for emerging therapies.

Copan FLOQSwabs®, used in these studies, provide an ideal solution for sample collection, ensuring superior recovery and release of biological material.

• FLOQSwabs® are available in numerous sizes and shapes to fit many anatomical collection sites.
  
  
• The FLOQ® patented arrangement of Nylon® fibres offers superior performance, bringing sampling to the next level. Due to the absence of an internal core the FLOQSwab® allows rapid adsorption and ensures a fast and complete sample elution.

As the understanding of PD advances, Copan FLOQSwabs® are playing a crucial role in the development of innovative diagnostic approaches. Contact us to learn more about their applications in neurodegenerative disease research: sales@dwscientific.co.uk. Or if you would like to read the original studies, head over to our free Published Paper Database.

Sources: 

Bongianni M, Catalan M, Perra D, Fontana E, Janes F, Bertolotti C, Sacchetto L, Capaldi S, Tagliapietra M, Polverino P, Tommasini V, Bellavita G, Kachoie EA, Baruca R, Bernardini A, Valente M, Fiorini M, Bronzato E, Tamburin S, Bertolasi L, Brozzetti L, Cecchini MP, Gigli G, Monaco S, Manganotti P, Zanusso G. Olfactory swab sampling optimization for α-synuclein aggregate detection in patients with Parkinson's disease. Transl Neurodegener. 2022 Jul 28;11(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s40035-022-00311-3. Erratum in: Transl Neurodegener. 2022 Aug 12;11(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s40035-022-00312-2. PMID: 35902902; PMCID: PMC9330656. 

Carrazana E, Montalbán-Gutiérrez L, Chana-Cuevas P, Salvadores N. Advancing Parkinson's diagnosis: seed amplification assay for α-synuclein detection in minimally invasive samples. Mol Cell Biochem. 2025 Jan 6. doi: 10.1007/s11010-024-05190-y. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39760833.