Bioinformatic analysis of the SPs and NFTs proteomes unravel putative biomarker candidates for Alzheimer's disease.

Aging is the main risk factor for the appearance of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is the most common form of dementia, characterized by the presence of senile plaques (SPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), the main histopathological hallmarks in AD brains. The core of these deposits are predominantly amyloid fibrils in SPs and hyperphosphorylated Tau protein in NFTs, but other molecular components can be found associated with these pathological lesions.

rs744373 SNP and alleles specifically associate to common diseases.

ε4 and are the two main genetic risk factors for sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Among several variants, the rs744373 is frequently associated with AD risk by contributing to tau pathology and poor cognitive performance. This study addressed the association of and rs744373 to specific characteristics in a Portuguese primary care-based study group, denoted pcb-Cohort.

Novel Exosome Biomarker Candidates for Alzheimer's Disease Unravelled Through Mass Spectrometry Analysis.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (EVs) present in human biofluids that can transport specific disease-associated molecules. Consequently blood-derived exosomes have emerged as important peripheral biomarker sources for a wide range of diseases, among them Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although there is no effective cure for AD, an accurate diagnosis, relying on easily accessible peripheral biofluids, is still necessary to discriminate this disease from other dementias, test potential therapies and even monitor rate of disease progression.

Exosomal Aβ-Binding Proteins Identified by "In Silico" Analysis Represent Putative Blood-Derived Biomarker Candidates for Alzheimer´s Disease.

The potential of exosomes as biomarker resources for diagnostics and even for therapeutics has intensified research in the field, including in the context of Alzheimer´s disease (AD). The search for disease biomarkers in peripheral biofluids is advancing mainly due to the easy access it offers. In the study presented here, emphasis was given to the bioinformatic identification of putative exosomal candidates for AD.

Potential of FTIR Spectroscopy Applied to Exosomes for Alzheimer's Disease Discrimination: A Pilot Study.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis is based on psychological and imaging tests but can also include monitoring cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. However, CSF based-neurochemical approaches are expensive and invasive, limiting their use to well-equipped settings. In contrast, blood-based biomarkers are minimally invasive, cost-effective, and a widely accessible alternative.

Monitoring plasma protein aggregation during aging using conformation-specific antibodies and FTIR spectroscopy.

The loss of proteostasis during aging has been well described using different models, however little is known with respect to protein aggregation levels in biofluids with aging. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the pattern of age-related protein aggregation in human plasma using two distinct approaches: analysis with conformation-specific antibodies and FTIR spectroscopy. The latter has been widely used in biomedical research to study protein conformational changes in health and disease.

Exosome isolation from distinct biofluids using precipitation and column-based approaches.

The potential of exosomes as biomarker resources for diagnostics, prognostics and even for therapeutics is an area of intense research. Despite the various approaches available, there is no consensus with respect to the best methodology for isolating exosomes and to provide substantial yields with reliable quality. Differential centrifugation is the most commonly used method but it is time-consuming and requires large sample volumes, thus alternative methods are urgently needed.