A team of researchers led by the University of Zaragoza has identified five proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that could act as early biomarkers for the diagnosis of prion diseases, before the first clinical symptoms appear. The study, carried out in sheep with scrapie - a natural model of these neurodegenerative pathologies - used advanced mass spectrometry and ELISA techniques to analyse the alterations in the CSF proteome.

Among the proteins identified are SYNCRIP, PLD3, CTSD, C4 and SPP1, all of which are related to processes such as inflammation, cellular stress and immune response. In particular, SYNCRIP showed a significant increase already in the preclinical phase, which reinforces its diagnostic potential. These findings open up new avenues for the early diagnosis of prion diseases, both in animals and, potentially, in humans.