New Alzheimer's studies reveal disease biology, risk for progression, and the potential for a novel blood test
Two new papers demonstrate that evaluating microRNAs in blood can be used not only to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but also, critically, to predict the conversion from MCI to dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.
Moreover, the researchers uncovered microRNA candidate molecular biomarkers that associate with current amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration (A/T/N) Alzheimer's biomarkers.
The new papers are by a team of researchers at Boston University, the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Goettingen, Germany.
The papers were recently published online in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association:
- The plasma miRNAome in ADNI: Signatures to aid the detection of at-risk individuals
- Plasma miRNAs across the Alzheimer's disease continuum: Relationship to central biomarkers
The researchers examined miRNA expression in the plasma samples of three diagnostic groups of participants — cognitively normal, mildly cognitively impaired and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease patients. They found that, when combined with neuropsychological testing, plasma microRNAome evaluation helps predict which aging individuals concerned about cognitive decline will progress to develop Alzheimer's.
While these are exciting times with novel therapies for Alzheimer's disease entering clinical care, the researchers note that those therapies only will work in a real-world setting if patients at risk are identified as early as possible.
