Navigating the Landscape of Plasma Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease: Focus on Past, Present, and Future Clinical Applications.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or meta-analytic pooling
PubMed 39244522 · doi:10.1007/s40120-024-00658-x
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the development and clinical translation of blood-based biomarkers (BBMs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The authors review the evolution of assay technologies (such as single-molecule detection and mass spectrometry platforms) and outline remaining barriers to routine clinical implementation.
What was found
The abstract provides no quantitative data or specific numerical metrics. It notes qualitatively that technological improvements in assay sensitivity and automation have shifted AD blood-based biomarkers from theoretical concepts to clinically viable diagnostic tools, while identifying ongoing needs for diagnostic cutpoints, comorbidity and medication impact profiles, provider guidelines, and novel markers for synaptic, inflammatory, and cerebrovascular pathology.
Why it matters
Blood-based biomarkers offer a minimally invasive, scalable alternative to cerebrospinal fluid testing and PET neuroimaging for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Identifying the exact implementation hurdles clarifies the research needed before these assays can be routinely deployed in primary and specialty care.
Limits
As a narrative review, this paper does not report an empirical sample, systematic literature search methodology, or quantitative meta-analysis. It provides broad qualitative conclusions without presenting test accuracy metrics (such as sensitivity, specificity, or area under the curve) or directly evaluating commercial assay platforms.
Cited by
- context Quest Laboratories offers diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's blood biomarkers including p-tau 181, p-tau 217, neurofilament light, and beta-amyloid 42/40 ratio.