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An Update on Blood-Based Markers of Alzheimer's Disease Using the SiMoA Platform
Danni Li1, Michelle M Mielke2,3
1Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Insights
Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array (SiMoA) technology enables accurate measurement of Alzheimer
Area of Science:
- Biomarkers
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and prognosis require reliable biomarkers.
- Current diagnostic methods are invasive or lack sensitivity for early detection.
- Blood-based biomarkers offer a less invasive alternative for AD screening and risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the utility of Single Molecule Array (SiMoA) technology for measuring key Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers in blood.
- To assess the potential of SiMoA assays for screening and risk stratification of individuals at risk for AD dementia.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on SiMoA technology and its application in measuring AD biomarkers.
- Focus on SiMoA assays for plasma/serum amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42), total tau (T-tau), phosphorylated tau (P-tau), and neurofilament light chain (NfL).
Main Results:
- SiMoA is an ultrasensitive technology capable of detecting proteins at sub-femtomolar concentrations.
- SiMoA enables accurate measurement of low-abundance AD biomarkers in plasma and serum, overcoming a major analytical challenge.
Conclusions:
- SiMoA technology holds significant promise for the development of blood-based Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers.
- Ultrasensitive detection of AD biomarkers in blood can facilitate population screening and early risk assessment for AD dementia.
Abstract:
The development of blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology as tools for screening the general population, and as the first step in a multistep process to determine which non-demented individuals are at greatest risk of developing AD dementia, is essential. Proteins that are reflective of AD pathology, such as amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42), tau proteins [total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (P-tau)], and neurofilament light chain (NfL), are detectable in the blood. However, a major challenge in measuring these blood-based proteins is that their concentrations are much lower in plasma or serum than in the cerebrospinal fluid. Single molecule array (SiMoA) is an ultrasensitive technology that can detect proteins in blood at sub-femtomolar concentrations (i.e., 10-16 M). In this review, we focus on the utility of SiMoA assays for the measurement of plasma or serum Aβ42, P-tau, T-tau, and NfL levels and discuss future directions.
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