Overview

• Researchers at Toho University led by Associate Professor Ayako Okado-Matsumoto found significantly lower α-synuclein levels in red blood cells of DLB patients compared to healthy controls and patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
• The team observed elevated α-synuclein concentrations in plasma extracellular vesicles across multiple neurodegenerative conditions, supporting a dual biomarker approach.
• Analysis of blood samples from a broad cohort demonstrated that combining erythrocyte and plasma EV measurements could discriminate DLB from other dementias with high specificity.
• The findings were published in The Journal of Biochemistry on April 16, 2025, marking the first blood-based biomarker axis proposed for Lewy body dementia.
• If validated in larger clinical trials the test could enable earlier interventions and improve outcomes for the estimated 1.4 million Americans affected by DLB.