Protein biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease with largely unknown pathogenesis that typically results in death within a few years from diagnosis. There are currently no effective therapies for ALS. Clinical diagnosis usually takes several months to complete and the long delay between symptom onset and diagnosis limits the possibilities for effective intervention and clinical trials. The establishment of protein biomarkers for ALS may aid an earlier diagnosis, facilitating the search for effective therapeutic interventions and monitoring drug efficacy during clinical trials. Biomarkers could also be used to discriminate between subtypes of ALS, to measure disease progression and to detect susceptibility for developing ALS or monitor adverse effects of drug treatment. The present review will discuss the opportunities and proteomic platforms used for biomarker discovery efforts in ALS, summarizing putative ALS protein biomarkers identified in different biofluids.