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Studies reveal new hope, old problems with
Alzheimer's Biomarkers
Newswise — Brain imaging and cognitive tests
may be the gold standards for tracking
Alzheimer disease progression, but clinical
trials using these procedures are expensive,
risky, and time-consuming, making the
development of reliable go-betweens a
pressing goal for AD researchers.
The Alzheimer Research Forum reports on
three recent papers that highlight new
promise, and expose nagging pitfalls, of one
of the field’s most widely used surrogate
measures: cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers.
CSF samples offer researchers an indirect
peek at signature molecules in AD and other
neurodegenerative diseases without having to
probe the brain itself.
In one study, scientists use a new method
for quantifying protein turnover in the
central nervous system to show that a
candidate AD drug lowers CNS Aβ production
in healthy people.
This approach has the potential to
streamline drug development, by indicating
early on if and to what extent experimental
compounds reach their CNS target.
More generally, biomarker analysis presents
an ongoing challenge in that their
measurement varies markedly in different
assays, even among different labs using the
same assays.
Researchers have tried to get a better
handle on this problem, and the second study
reported in this story finds sobering
variability among 20 labs worldwide that
measured Aβ42, tau, and phospho-tau in the
same CSF samples.
Meanwhile, a third report describes a
potential new AD biomarker in the form of
reduced CSF levels of the sortilin-related
receptor SORLA.
For further details, analysis and expert
commentary, read the full story at Alzforum:
http://www.alzforum.org/new/detail.asp?id=2105
The Alzheimer Research Forum (www.alzforum.org),
founded in 1996, is the web's most dynamic
scientific community dedicated to
understanding Alzheimer disease and related
disorders. Access to the web site is free to
all.
The Forum’s editorial priorities are as
diverse as the needs of the research
community. The web site reports on the
latest scientific findings, from basic
research to clinical trials; creates and
maintains public databases of essential
research data and reagents; and produces
discussion forums to promote debate, speed
the dissemination of new ideas, and break
down barriers across the numerous
disciplines that can contribute to the
global effort to cure Alzheimer's disease.
The ARF team of professional science writers
and editors, information technology experts,
web developers and producers all work
closely with its distinguished and diverse
Advisory Board to ensure a high quality of
information and services.
The Alzheimer Research Forum is an
independent nonprofit organization supported
by grants and individual donations. The web
site does not endorse any specific product
or scientific approach.
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