We had a stellar kick-off night at AD/PD. The day started strongly with many great discussions and presentations. A big picture takeaway for us is that exciting progress is being made in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) research with a focus on disease mechanisms, progression of pathology, and importance of imaging and fluid biomarkers. 

Despite progress, PD diagnosis and monitoring remain largely dependent on clinical assessments, which can be subjective and variable. PET tracers targeting alpha-synuclein (α-syn) offer a novel, biomarker-specific approach for PD detection. These imaging tools allow for a more direct and disease-relevant method to study PD pathology. 

Improvements to the understanding of disease mechanisms and possible players further improve the chances of validating new candidate csf/blood-based biomarkers, such as phosphorylated α-synuclein, offer a promising non-invasive complement to PET imaging. They could support disease staging and progression monitoring with greater accessibility and scalability. 

PD research today is at a similar inflection point as Alzheimer’s research a decade ago. By learning from the AD field’s path, particularly in assay standardization and biomarker validation, we have the opportunity to accelerate PD research. 

In terms of Alzheimer’s, the understanding and characterization of p-Tau 217 continues to advance and most importantly transform clinical study enrollment in terms of lowering the cost, effort and access.  

Both fields are taking significant steps forward. We believe that p-Tau 217 will open the door to more drug programs, and the tracer will usher in a new era of biomarker research. 

We also had a wonderful time at the welcome reception and enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by our booth. We’re here until Saturday – see you at booth #22! 

We’re having a fantastic time at AD/PD, connecting with attendees and showcasing how Quanterix customers are driving breakthroughs in biomarker detection for neurodegenerative diseases. With over 80 posters, presentations, and sessions featuring Simoa® technology, there are plenty of opportunities to see our impact firsthand. Visit our event page to explore all the ways Quanterix is featured. 

Read the key takeaways from Day 2 here.