RATIONAL/HYPOTHESIS

The heterogeneity of Parkinson ́s disease (PD) is a major obstacle preventing the development of patient-tailored therapies. Here, we aim to stratify PD by identifying and characterizing subgroups of patients with distinct clinical and/or molecular characteristics. Moreover, we aim to develop biomarkers enabling patient stratification in clinical practice.

We will establish a population-based cohort from three centres across Norway and Canada. We will follow the cohort yearly and map the longitudinal change of the molecular landscape in clinically accessible tissues of patients and controls. This will elucidate molecular processes implicated in disease initiation and progression and provide an early, crude clustering of patients according to molecular background. Subsequently, we will apply state-of-the-art computational analyses to perform multidimensional integration of our database and identify biomarkers for molecular stratification of PD. Biomarkers will be validated in other appropriate cohorts and assessed for innovation and commercialization potential. Successful biomarkers will enable patient selection for participation in tailored trials.