ASC specks as a single-molecule fluid biomarker of inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Immunotherapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease would be facilitated by better measures of inflammation. Here we established an ultra-sensitive single-molecule pull-down immunoassay combined with direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) to measure the number, size and shape of individual extracellular inflammasome ASC specks. We assayed human post-mortem brain, serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well as healthy elderly.

Peripheral innate immunophenotype in neurodegenerative disease: blood-based profiles and links to survival.

The innate immune system plays an integral role in the progression of many neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to central innate immune cells (e.g.

Regional desynchronization of microglial activity is associated with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Microglial activation is one hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD) neuropathology but the impact of the regional interplay of microglia cells in the brain is poorly understood. We hypothesized that microglial activation is regionally synchronized in the healthy brain but experiences regional desynchronization with ongoing neurodegenerative disease. We addressed the existence of a microglia connectome and investigated microglial desynchronization as an AD biomarker.

Blood inflammation relates to neuroinflammation and survival in frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Neuroinflammation is an important pathogenic mechanism in many neurodegenerative diseases, including those caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Postmortem and in vivo imaging studies have shown brain inflammation early in these conditions, proportionate to symptom severity and rate of progression. However, evidence for corresponding blood markers of inflammation and their relationship with central inflammation and clinical outcome are limited.