Advances in blood biomarkers for Alzheimer disease (AD): A review

• Published in: The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences 2024-08, Vol.40 (8), p.692-698
• Main Authors: Assfaw, Araya Dimtsu, Schindler, Suzanne E, Morris, John C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advertising executives; Alzheimer disease; Alzheimer Disease - blood; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides - blood; Amyloid beta-Peptides - cerebrospinal fluid; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Biomarkers - cerebrospinal fluid; blood test; Blood tests; blood‐based biomarkers; Clinical trials; Cognitive ability; Cost analysis; Cost control; Dementia; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Diseases; FDA approval; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - blood; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - cerebrospinal fluid; Health care; Humans; Medical colleges; Neurodegeneration; Neurofilament Proteins - blood; Neurofilament Proteins - cerebrospinal fluid; Older people; Pathology; Patients; PET imaging; Plasma; plasma biomarkers; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; tau Proteins - blood; tau Proteins - cerebrospinal fluid
• ISSN: 1607-551X; 2410-8650; 2410-8650
• DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12870

Alzheimer disease (AD) and Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) are growing public health challenges globally affecting millions of older adults, necessitating concerted efforts to advance our understanding and management of these conditions. AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles that are the primary cause of dementia in older individuals. Early and accurate diagnosis of AD dementia is crucial for effective intervention and treatment but has proven challenging to accomplish. Although testing for AD brain pathology with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or positron emission tomography (PET) has been available for over 2 decades, most patients never underwent this testing because of inaccessibility, high out‐of‐pocket costs, perceived risks, and the lack of AD‐specific treatments. However, in recent years, rapid progress has been made in developing blood biomarkers for AD/ADRD. Consequently, blood biomarkers have emerged as promising tools for non‐invasive and cost‐effective diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of AD progression. This review presents the evolving landscape of blood biomarkers in AD/ADRD and explores their potential applications in clinical practice for early detection, prognosis, and therapeutic interventions. It covers recent advances in blood biomarkers, including amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, tau protein, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). It also discusses their diagnostic and prognostic utility while addressing associated challenges and limitations. Future research directions in this rapidly evolving field are also proposed.