“Novel Method for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases based on saliva biochemical profiling”
EARLY CAREER AWARD II Edition – Fondazione Regionale per la Ricerca Biomedica (FRRB)
Duration: 36 months (16/12/2024 – 15/12/2027)
Project overview
Early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases is a crucial step in the treatment and care of patients as it allows to tailor prompt personalized therapeutic strategies that can significantly impact on disease progression and on the quality of life of patients and their families.
The MINERVA project will validate a novel, cost-effective and quick biophotonic-based method for early and differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonisms and Alzheimer’s disease. The method we want to validate could be used by clinicians as cheap screening method and for the routine clinical monitoring of disease progression.
The method is based on the application of an innovative technique, Raman spectroscopy that takes advantage of a laser to obtain information on liquid biopsies. We will apply Raman spectroscopy to the analysis of saliva and on saliva-derived Extracellular Vesicles, which are nanometric carriers of molecules throughout our body. A nanotechnology-based biomolecular characterization of saliva and salivary extracellular vesicles will also clarify the involvement of specific pathological molecules in the progression of neurodegenerative disease .
The results of our project will represent a turning point in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases with significant impact on the personalization of patients’ treatment.
Consortium & Funding
MINERVA is a project funded by Fondazione Regionale per la Ricerca Biomedica (FRRB) under the call EARLY CAREER AWARD II Edition.
MINERVA is coordinated by Dr. Alice Gualerzi (LABION) and it involves 2 clinical operative units of Fondazione Don Gnocchi:
- NeRiM – IRCCS S. Maria Nascente, Milan
- Promise@lab IRCCS Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence
Main achievements
In the first year of the project, a shared REDCap database has been successfully developed to coordinate data collection among all research groups involved in the project.
Standardized procedures for the collection, storage, and transport of biological samples have been established to ensure consistency and reliability.
Effective isolation of salivary extracellular vesicles has been achieved and analyses using Raman spectroscopy have begun, alongside ongoing biomarker studies.
The MINERVA project is based on an observational clinical trial approved by the Local Ethics Committee of IRCCS S. Maria Nascente in Milan and it was registered on the open access registry Clinicaltrials.gov. ID: NCT06869135.
Dissemination activities
- Poster Presentation “A novel method for diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease based on saliva biochemical profiling: the MINERVA study protocol” – Sindem, Rome (IT), September 2025
- Oral Presentation “The Raman fingerprint of Salivary Extracellular Vesicles for the differential diagnosis of movement disorders: the MINERVA project” – 4th EVIta Symposium, Favignana (IT), September 2025
- “Biomarcatori salivari nei disturbi del movimento: risultati preliminari dello studio MINERVA“ – Science Together webinar organized by the Scientific Director of Fondazione Don Gnocchi, December 2025
