Protein markers of brain damage

Brain proteins are released into body fluids in a fashion which reflects the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms for individual diseases. It is therefore important to distinguish not only different protein markers (reflecting various brain cells from which they have been released), but also their metabolism at different sites within the body (e.g. reticulo-endothelial system vs renal clearance) which will have an important bearing on whether fragments of the protein are found in urine or blood. It is clear that different patterns of protein abnormalities would be helpful in differential diagnosis of the individual diseases which afflict the nervous system. It would also be useful to monitor these proteins either as surrogate markers of the natural history of the condition or in the various therapies for each disease.