Grifols’ Chronos-PD study identifies biological changes linked to Parkinson’s disease more than 10 years before diagnosis, highlighting potential biomarkers for earlier detection and intervention.
Written By: Karthik Teja Macharla, PharmD
Reviewed By: Pharmacally Editorial Team
Grifols has reported proof-of-concept findings from its Chronos-PD program showing that measurable biological changes associated with Parkinson’s disease may begin more than 10 years before clinical diagnosis, highlighting the potential for earlier detection and intervention strategies.
The findings have been published in a preprint on medRxiv and will be presented in 13 posters and presentations at the AD/PDTM 2026 conference taking place March 17–21, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Chronos-PD is led by Grifols’ subsidiary Alkahest and aims to identify early molecular signals of Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms appear. The program integrates artificial intelligence, advanced proteomics, and real-world clinical data to analyze long-term biological changes that could serve as predictive biomarkers for the disease.
The proof-of-concept study, funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, analyzed more than 2,600 longitudinal plasma samples collected from individuals who later developed Parkinson’s disease and matched controls. Using four complementary proteomics platforms, researchers measured over 25,000 protein types, making it one of the most deeply profiled longitudinal proteomic datasets in Parkinson’s research.
The analysis covered plasma samples collected up to 12 years before Parkinson’s diagnosis and up to 9 years after diagnosis, enabling researchers to track changes in circulating proteins over time. Investigators confirmed previously reported Parkinson’s biomarkers and identified additional reproducible early markers that were validated across up to five independent cohorts.
The study also identified novel early biomarkers, including significant modulation of the CXCL12–cell adhesion molecules–integrin signaling axis, a biological pathway involved in immune cell trafficking and blood–brain barrier integrity that has been linked to neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease.
According to Dr. Jörg Schüttrumpf, Chief Scientific Innovation Officer at Grifols, the findings provide new insight into disease biology long before symptoms appear and validate the Chronos platform as a tool for discovering early disease signals. The approach could support the development of new diagnostic tools and disease-modifying therapies not only for Parkinson’s disease but also for other conditions.
Parkinson’s disease affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 6 million people worldwide. The neurodegenerative disorder occurs when dopamine-producing neurons in the brain progressively degenerate, leading to movement impairment and other neurological symptoms. Currently, diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation, medical history, and imaging tests, often after significant neuronal damage has already occurred.
Researchers believe that identifying molecular changes years before symptom onset could enable earlier intervention and potentially slow or prevent disease progression.
The Chronos program leverages Grifols’ large proprietary biospecimen repository, which includes more than 100 million biological samples collected over nearly 15 years, linked with real-world health data. The same analytical approach used in Chronos-PD could be applied to other diseases to identify early molecular signatures and guide preventive therapies.
Benoit Lehallier, PhD, Principal Investigator of Chronos and Senior Director of Data Science at Alkahest, said the platform shifts early disease detection from symptom-based diagnosis to molecular trajectory profiling, potentially enabling population-scale tools for predicting disease risk and guiding early intervention strategies.
Reference
Grifols shares results from its Chronos platform identifying early molecular changes associated with Parkinson’s disease, 17 March 2026, Grifols shares results from its Chronos platform identifying early molecular changes associated with Parkinson’s disease
About the Writer
Karthik Teja Macharla, PharmD is a Pharm.D. graduate with a strong interest in clinical research, pharmacovigilance, and medical writing. In his words, he is passionate about converting complex medical information into clear, evidence-based scientific communication, committed to contributing to patient safety and advancing healthcare through accurate and impactful medical content.