Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue from the International Symposium on Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders

Excerpt

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a long and continuous neurodegenerative condition that starts with demonstrable pathologic changes decades before the onset of symptoms and ends with symptomatic dementia [1, 2]. There have been significant advancements in the field of biomarker-driven diagnostics, including the development of amyloid positron emission tomography [carbon 11–labeled Pittsburgh Compound B (C-11 PiB)] [3, 4] and the approvals of the fluorine 18 derivatives florbetapir [5], florbetaben [6], and flutemetamol [7], as well as advancements in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing [8]. Nonetheless, no consensus has been reached regarding the routine incorporation of biomarkers into clinical evaluation; various groups have issued differing recommendations [9‐11]. What is missing from the clinical environment is a widely accepted, reproducible, and valid peripheral (e.g., blood, urine, or saliva) biomarker, much like the prostate-specific antigen screen for prostate cancer or the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) measure for diabetes mellitus. Plasma amyloid has been measured extensively [12]. Recent reports suggest that measuring plasma tau might be desirable and could potentially have validity as a peripheral diagnostic biomarker [13]. …