# When Proteins Go MAD—Misfolded, Amplified, Detected: Advances in α-Synuclein Pathophysiology and RT-QuIC Detection

## TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding α-synuclein misfolding and detection methods like RT-QuIC for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases.

## Contribution

The paper highlights RT-QuIC as a leading diagnostic tool for detecting α-synuclein misfolding in synucleinopathies.

## Key findings

- Structural studies reveal α-synuclein aggregate heterogeneity linked to different synucleinopathies.
- RT-QuIC is a sensitive and scalable assay for detecting pathogenic α-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid.
- RT-QuIC shows promise for early diagnostics and patient stratification in neurodegenerative disorders.

## Abstract

Α-Synuclein (α-Syn) aggregation and fibrillation are pathological hallmarks of several neurodegenerative disorders, collectively termed synucleinopathies. The misfolded α-Syn protein exhibits a prion-like seeding behavior, promoting misfolding, intracellular spread, and progressive neurodegeneration. Recent advances in structural biology have revealed critical insights into the conformational heterogeneity of α-Syn aggregates and their strain-specific properties across distinct synucleinopathies. In parallel, significant progress has been made in biomarker development, particularly with the arrival of seed amplification assays. Among these, Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) has emerged as a highly sensitive, specific, and scalable method for detecting pathogenic α-Syn species in cerebrospinal fluid and other tissues. This review summarizes the latest findings from structural studies on α-Syn oligomers and aggregates, their relevance to disease mechanisms, and highlights RT-QuIC as the most clinically advanced and rapidly evolving assay. We discuss its potential for early, biomarker-driven diagnostics, patient stratification, and clinical implementation.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12035-025-05600-2.