For the first time, scientists have managed to directly observe and measure the protein clusters thought to spark the onset of Parkinson’s disease, representing a major leap forward in understanding this rapidly growing neurological disorder.

These microscopic structures, known as alpha-synuclein oligomers, have long been suspected of initiating the disease within the brain. However, until now, researchers had been unable to detect them directly in human brain tissue.

A team from the University of Cambridge, UCL, the Francis Crick Institute, and Polytechnique Montréal has now developed an advanced imaging method that enables them to visualize, count, and compare these elusive clusters. One of the researchers described the breakthrough as being “like being able to see stars in broad daylight.”

The findings, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, could reveal new details about how Parkinson’s spreads through the brain and aid in the development of early diagnostic tools and future treatments.

Currently, around 166,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson’s disease, and that number continues to grow. Globally, the total is expected to reach 25 million by 2050. While existing medications can ease symptoms such as tremors and muscle stiffness, there are still no treatments capable of slowing or stopping the progression of the disease itself.