Discovery of new Alzheimer's disease biomarkers reported

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Study shows new biomarker clue to Alzheimer's which may lead to diagnostic test.
The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease currently relies upon clinical judgment and may not be confirmed until autopsy of the patient. Now researchers at Cornell Medical College report on the first step to a possible blood test for Alzheimer's disease based upon the detection of biomarkers.

In disease states, levels of certain proteins - known as biomarkers - may be elevated. In this study, cerebrospinal fluid from 34 patients with known Alzheimer's disease was analyzed for levels of 2,000 different proteins. The results were compared with those from 34 age-matched controls without Alzheimer's disease. The comparison reveals 23 proteins which formed a 'fingerprint' characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. This led to a validation study where ten patients with suspected Alzheimer's and 18 controls were compared. The same 23 proteins turned up. Not only may this fingerprint be used as the basis for a diagnostic blood test, in the future, it could also be used to test new therapies. If the fingerprint changes on exposure to a potential drug, then this may suggest that it is having some positive biological impact.

Source
Annals of Neurology online December 2006

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