Identifying and validating biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.
The identification and validation of biomarkers for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia are increasingly important. To date, ELISA measurement of β-amyloid(1-42), total tau and phospho-tau-181 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the most advanced and accepted method to diagnose probable AD with high specificity and sensitivity. However, it is a great challenge to search for novel biomarkers in CSF and blood by using modern potent methods, such as microarrays and mass spectrometry, and to optimize the handling of samples (e.g. collection, transport, processing, and storage), as well as the interpretation using bioinformatics. It seems likely that only a combined analysis of several biomarkers will define a patient-specific signature to diagnose AD in the future.
Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. christian.humpel@i-med.ac.at
Christian
C
Humpel
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins