The role of genetics for biomarker development in neurodegeneration

Research on biomarkers and genetics shares a number of objectives, including the identification of novel disease mechanisms, optimization of therapeutic studies, and improvement of diagnosis and prognosis. The latter is of particular relevance in neurodegenerative diseases where the underlying molecular processes often go on for decades until the first clinical symptoms appear. In this commentary we review the potential contribution that insight gained from genetic research may have on biomarker development in neurodegeneration. We argue that future progress will largely depend on a widespread application of novel high-throughput technologies now becoming available in both fields.