Unlocking the Future of Alzheimer's Disease: Innovations in Diagnosis and Therapy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia, making up around two thirds of all dementia cases globally. Despite its high prevalence, it is estimated to remain undiagnosed in 41 million people with dementia, and with only about 25% of dementia individuals being clinically identified. AD is the major neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia, characterized by neuronal atrophy and loss. The accumulation of toxic amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers, protein aggregates, along with the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) within neurons, is the key pathological feature of AD. NFTs are composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. These abnormalities contribute to a decline in cerebral glucose metabolism in the brain, synaptic dysfunction, and mitochondrial impairment. The progression of AD occurs in three stages: (1) the presymptomatic stage, (2) mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and (3) the clinical stage of AD. Many biomarkers have been identified for diagnosing AD and differentiating it from atypical AD. It has emerged as a key area of research, offering significant potential for early detection of AD, prognostication, as well as planning drug therapy and monitoring.