Plasma Proteomic Profiling Detects Neurodegenerative Diseases at Earlier Stage

Diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) remains challenging due to overlapping symptoms and shared pathological features. Although many proteins and biological pathways are known to play a role in the development of these conditions, and some of these proteins can be detected in blood plasma, it has not been clear which proteins are specific to each disease versus those that are shared. This uncertainty complicates efforts to develop accurate blood-based diagnostic tools and effective, disease-specific treatments. Now, a new study has offered insights into this complexity by mapping the proteins associated with each of the three diseases and identifying those that are distinct as well as those that overlap across conditions.

In the study, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO, USA) analyzed over 10,500 plasma samples from individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or FTD. The research team used this large dataset to examine protein activity across the three diseases. They identified 5,187 proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, 3,748 with Parkinson’s, and 2,380 with FTD, including many proteins that had not previously been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. By developing and validating predictive models based on these protein patterns, the researchers were able to estimate disease risk with improved accuracy. The analysis also revealed more than 1,000 proteins that were common to all three diseases, pointing to shared biological processes such as immune response and energy production that could serve as therapeutic targets.

Image: Blood plasma reveals shared pathways in neurodegenerative diseases (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

The findings, published in Nature Medicine, underscore the importance of analyzing neurodegenerative diseases in combination rather than in isolation. This broader approach enabled the identification of both disease-specific and shared protein markers, offering a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying these complex disorders. The study builds on earlier work by the same research team, which previously identified over 400 plasma proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease. These expanded results may aid in earlier and more accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and help guide the development of more targeted treatments.

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