Unmet Need
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) results in progressive loss of cognitive function. The common methods of AD diagnoses are clinical observations and medical imaging. As new therapies for AD are discovered, there is a need for simple biomarkers that can be related to the disease pathogenesis. Current biomarkers for AD are unreliable and are not highly diagnostic in individual patients. The identified biomarkers correlate AD to cognitive function and allow robust monitoring of disease progression and/or treatment success. Advantages of these biomarkers include:
· Reliable and simple biomarker for AD
· Sensitive and accurate diagnosis and clinical monitoring of AD associated cognitive changes
· Rapid and quantifiable assay
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins University researchers have identified two biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring AD. The presence of the biomarker proteins is significantly reduced in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with AD. This reduction shows a significant correlation with a standard assay of cognitive failure. Subsequent studies demonstrate that these proteins interact with BACE1 to mediate cellular events important for amyloid peptide (AB) generation. The molecular function of this protein family is shown to be mechanistically linked to BACE1 levels in rodent models, suggesting a link between CSF levels and AD pathogenesis.
Stage of Development
· The JHU inventors currently use a Western blot assay to detect CSF levels of NPTX1/2 in defined volumes of CSF.
· Investigators have developed ELISA assays which will be more rapid and quantifiable.
Data Availability
Western blot data, immunostaining analyses, animal models, and CSF samples
Publications:
1. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions 5 (2019) 871-882
2. Xiao et al. eLife 2017;6:e23798.
3. Front. Aging Neurosci., 07 June 2019.
4. Alzheimer's & dementia. Volume 14. Issue 7. Page P1060 - P1060
5. Issued Patent US 7,851,172
