Advancing the Frontiers of Parkinson's Disease Research: Alpha Synuclein Seed Amplification Assays and the Path to Optimized Recombinant Substrates

Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains one of the most challenging neurodegenerative disorders to diagnose and monitor. Conventional clinical assessments and imaging often miss the early molecular events driving disease onset, while overlapping symptoms with other synucleinopathies, such as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), further complicate diagnosis.

Over the past decade, alpha synuclein seed amplification assays (SAAs), including RT-QuIC (Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion), have emerged as transformative tools bridging this diagnostic gap. By exploiting the prion-like seeding behavior of misfolded alpha synuclein, these assays detect trace amounts of pathogenic aggregates with exceptional sensitivity and specificity, enabling earlier and more accurate identification of disease-associated seeds.

In this webinar hosted by StressMarq Biosciences, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Laura Parkkinen, Professor of Translational Neuropathology and Director of the Oxford Brain Bank at the University of Oxford. A leading expert in neuropathology and SAA/RT-QuIC methodologies, Dr. Parkkinen will discuss the scientific foundation, clinical relevance, and future direction of alpha synuclein SAAs, highlighting their growing impact on biomarker discovery and translational research in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

As the field advances toward precision diagnostics, SAAs stand out as a major breakthrough for early and differential detection. The next frontier lies in improving assay robustness, scalability, and reproducibility - challenges closely linked to innovation in recombinant substrate design and validation.

StressMarq Biosciences is proud to contribute to this progress through ongoing R&D initiatives, developed in close collaboration with global experts. By uniting scientists, clinicians, and industry innovators, this webinar aims to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration that will accelerate the translation of SAA technology from the research bench to clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the scientific principles, workflow, and analytical sensitivity of alpha synuclein seed amplification assays (SAAs), including RT-QuIC.

• Assess current limitations in SAA reproducibility, standardization, and scalability.

• Evaluate the translational potential of SAA technology in precision diagnostics and biomarker development for neurodegenerative diseases.

• Explore how innovation in recombinant protein design contributes to improved assay performance and reliability.