CIEN collaborates in a study on neurodegenerative biomarkers published in Nature Communications

A recent study published in Nature Communications counts with the participation of CIEN, which has contributed with the analysis of essential data from the VARS study and the Vallecas Project. This research is the result of an international collaboration led by Amsterdam UMC researcher Marta del Campo.

What is the study about?

The researchers have analysed the role of plasma DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) as a possible biomarker in Lewy body disorders (LBDs), including dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Its behaviour was evaluated in three groups of patients:

• A group with autopsy-confirmed Dementia with Lewy Bodies and healthy controls (71 people).
• A large and diverse group of patients with different types of dementia (1,498 people).
• A group followed over time with detailed information about their treatment (66 people, with an average follow-up of 4 years).

Main findings

The results show that plasma CDD levels do not differ significantly between the different types of Lewy body disorders or with other disease groups or controls in the absence of treatment. However, in patients with Parkinson's disease, DDC levels increased over time in relation to higher doses of dopaminergic treatment.

This finding suggests that, although plasma DDC is not a good biomarker for diagnosing these diseases, it may be useful for monitoring the effect of dopaminergic treatment in patients.

Article reference: Bolsewig K, Willemse EA, Sánchez-Juan P, Rábano A, Martínez M, Doecke JD, et al. Increased plasma DOPA decarboxylase levels in Lewy body disorders are driven by dopaminergic treatment. Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 29;16(1):1139. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56293-z.