Biomarkers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomarker Discovery
• Gerontology

Background:

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between cognitive health and dementia, increasing Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk.
• Early identification of MCI is crucial for developing interventions due to the long presymptomatic phase of AD.
• Current advanced biomarker detection methods like PET scans are costly; affordable alternatives are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of olfactory neuroepithelium cells and plasma as sources for early Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers.
• To evaluate specific AD-related protein markers in peripheral cells and plasma for individuals with MCI.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of older adults with MCI and healthy controls.
• Collection of clinical data, MoCA test scores, blood samples, and olfactory nasal exudates.
• Isolation and culture of Olfactory Epithelial Precursor Cells (OEPCs) for biomarker analysis via Western Blot.

Main Results:

• OEPCs and plasma samples were successfully obtained and analyzed from MCI patients and controls.
• Western Blot analysis included Amyloid precursor protein, total tau, phospho-tau217, calcineurin subunit, alpha-synuclein, and beta-synuclein.
• No significant correlation was found between phospho-tau217 levels and cognitive impairment in the studied cohort.

Conclusions:

• Peripheral cells, such as OEPCs, may harbor altered genes indicative of early AD.
• Further research could validate these cellular biomarkers in blood samples for an affordable early diagnostic tool for AD.
• The study highlights the need for novel, accessible biomarkers for early detection of Alzheimer's disease.