2024 Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D)
Astrocyte Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease: Bridging Plasma and Brain
Can blood-based biomarkers predict the brain changes that occur in Alzheimer’s?
Andreia Silva da Rocha, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA - United States
Background
Alzheimer’s and other dementia are progressive disorders, and researchers are exploring ways to monitor the disease’s progression over time by measuring changes in biological markers (biomarkers) linked to the disease. Current methods to measure biomarkers for Alzheimer’s progression are often cumbersome and expensive and require invasive imaging procedures or lumbar punctures (spinal taps). Blood tests may offer a safer, less expensive, and faster approach to monitor progression of the disease. Research has shown that Alzheimer’s-related protein levels in the blood can predict similar changes in the brain for amyloid plaques and tau tangles (two of the hallmark brain changes observed in Alzheimer’s). However, numerous other blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s have recently emerged and need further study.
Dr. Andreia Silva da Rocha and colleagues hypothesize that three specific proteins (GFAP, S100B, and YKL-40) that become elevated in astrocytes (a type of support cell in the brain) during Alzheimer’s progression may be a viable combination blood-based biomarker.
Research Plan
For their studies, Dr. Silva da Rocha and the team will measure levels of GFAP, S100B, and YKL-40 in the plasma and in brain tissue from 135 individuals who had Alzheimer’s to assess whether each protein can predict similar changes in the brain. They will also measure how levels of each protein change in both plasma and different brain regions throughout the clinical course of Alzheimer’s progression. Next, the researchers will assess whether changes in GFAP, S100B, and YKL-40 in the plasma can also be used to predict amyloid plaque and tau tangle accumulation in the brain.
Impact
Results of this study may give rise to an effective and non-invasive blood-based biomarker to monitor Alzheimer’s progression. If successful, the findings could be confirmed in future studies with a larger and more diverse array of participants.