Blood-Based Nanoparticle-Enhanced Quaking-Induced Conversion (Nano-QuIC): Inhibitor-Resistant Detection of Seeding Activity in Patients Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease

• Published in: Nano letters 2024-11, Vol.24 (47), p.15016-15024
• Main Authors: Christenson, Peter R., Jeong, Hyeonjeong, Li, Manci, Ahn, Hyerim, Schmeichel, Ann M., Misra, Pinaki, Li, Danni, Savica, Rodolfo, Low, Phillip A., Singer, Wolfgang, Larsen, Peter A., Park, Hye Yoon, Oh, Sang-Hyun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alpha-Synuclein - antagonists & inhibitors; alpha-Synuclein - blood; Humans; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Parkinson Disease - blood; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03768

A hallmark of α-synucleinopathies (e.g., Parkinson’s disease) is the misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein in tissues and biological fluids. Protein amplification assays like real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) are sensitive yet currently limited to semi-invasive sample types such as cerebrospinal fluid because more accessible samples, such as blood, contain inhibitors. Here, we show that Nanoparticle-enhanced Quaking-induced Conversion (Nano-QuIC) can double the speed of reactions spiked with misfolded α-synuclein while increasing sensitivity 100-fold in human plasma. Nano-QuIC detected spike concentrations down to 90 pg/mL in lysed whole blood, while reactions without nanoparticles (RT-QuIC) failed to have any detection due to the presence of strong inhibitors. Moreover, Nano-QuIC showed increased seeding activity in plasma samples from Parkinson’s patients (n = 4) versus healthy controls (n = 4). This sets the groundwork for the noninvasive diagnostic use of Nano-QuIC, potentially enabling early disease detection and management through blood-based testing.