Blood-based biomarkers offer a way to diagnose and track Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression. AD-related biomarkers that go beyond amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau are needed. FunGen-AD-supported researcher Carlos Cruchaga from Washington University School of Medicine was part of an international group of researchers who conducted a large-scale plasma proteomic analysis to identify proteins associated with AD. The study examined 6,905 aptamers corresponding to 6,106 unique proteins in plasma in more than 3,300 individuals, including over 1,200 people with clinical AD. The analysis identified 456 significant aptamers corresponding to 416 proteins, which were validated using two external datasets of more than 7,000 samples.
Among the proteins identified, 294 were novel proteins associated with AD, and 122 proteins had been identified in previous plasma studies. The group used a machine learning model to find Aβ- and tau-independent biomarkers. The model identified seven proteins that predicted clinical and biomarker-defined AD status. These results were replicated in multiple external cohorts and orthogonal platforms. Although further studies are needed, these biomarkers have the potential to support early detection and monitoring of AD.
This research, partially supported by FunGen-AD grant RF1AG058501, is published in Nature Aging here. You can read more about these research findings at the following links:
- Large-scale Plasma Proteomic Profiling Unveils Diagnostic Biomarkers and Pathways for Alzheimer’s Disease (WashU Medicine)