Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease

Reflecting the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of Aβ‎1-42, t-tau, and p-tau and positive amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging are considered core biomarkers for AD. Unfortunately, their use for screening is limited by their invasive nature (CSF biomarkers) or high cost (PET imaging). Among the biologic specimens that may be scrutinized for identifying novel AD biomarkers, circulating blood is a convenient source for sampling. The dynamic range of high-throughput technological platforms, coupled with advances in bioinformatics, holds the promise that proteomics will be a significant contributor to the field of blood-based AD biomarkers. Here, the chapter summarizes the blood-based biomarker platforms applied to the investigation of AD and reviews recent achievements in plasma/serum proteomics related to AD. These findings set the stage for the implementation of systems biology in the context of the evolving precision medicine paradigm for AD.