Untangling Alzheimer's disease with spatial multi-omics: a brief review

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biotechnology
• Systems Biology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common dementia characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
• AD-associated pathologies like cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) share molecular drivers with AD, complicating understanding.
• The spatiomolecular relationships within these neurological disorders are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in spatial omics technologies for Alzheimer's disease research.
• To highlight how these methods elucidate the spatial organization of molecular and cellular features in neuropathologies.
• To provide a systems biology perspective on the tissue microenvironment in AD.

Main Methods:

• Profiling and molecular imaging methods within spatial omics.
• Characterizing cell type and tissue feature organization.
• Mapping molecular distributions in brain tissue.

Main Results:

• Spatial omics enables detailed characterization of the relationship between tissue organization and molecular pathology.
• Emerging technologies offer higher resolution and molecular coverage for AD research.
• These methods provide a systems biology view of the neuropathological microenvironment.

Conclusions:

• Spatial omics is crucial for understanding the complex molecular drivers of Alzheimer's disease.
• Advancements in spatial omics open new avenues for AD prediction, diagnosis, and mitigation.
• This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of AD and associated pathologies.