Today, VUGENE highlights a new study investigating the lipidomic landscape of Parkinson’s disease, revealing significant disruptions in brain lipid metabolism and uncovering potential biomarkers for early detection and therapeutic monitoring.
In collaboration with international researchers and our long-term partners at the Corewell Health Institute, VUGENE’s team analyzed postmortem brain tissue from Parkinson’s patients and matched controls using high-resolution targeted lipidomics to uncover detailed molecular changes in lipid composition.
Key findings from the study:
Major lipid class disruptions: We identified a significant increase in triacylglycerols (TAGs) and a decrease in lysoglycerophosphocholines (LGCs) in Parkinson’s disease brains, reflecting broad alterations in lipid homeostasis.
Sex-specific metabolic signatures: Distinct lipidomic patterns emerged between males and females. Notably, male brains exhibited more pronounced disruptions, with concentrations of TAGs, DAGs, cardiolipins (CLs), and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) being particularly influenced by sex. These differences may help explain the higher prevalence and severity of Parkinson’s disease among men, underscoring the importance of sex-specific therapeutic strategies.
Potential biomarkers: These lipid alterations hold promise as biomarkers for early detection, risk stratification, and disease monitoring. Importantly, machine learning models trained on the lipidomic data demonstrated strong predictive performance, reinforcing their translational potential in the future.
By applying advanced lipidomic profiling to human brain tissue, this study highlights the central role of lipid metabolism in Parkinson’s disease and sets the stage for precision diagnostics and lipid-targeted therapies.
Ali Yilmaz, Nadia Ashrafi, Romana Ashrafi, Sumeyya Akyol, Nazia Saiyed, Ieva Kerševičiūtė, Miglė Gabrielaitė, Juozas Gordevičius, Stewart F. Graham. npj Parkinson’s Disease, vol 11 (1).
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Written by: Milda Milčiūtė
Cover image credits: Juan / Adobe Stock
