Advances in Blood Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease: Ultra-Sensitive Detection Technologies and Impact on Clinical Diagnosis

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease has escalated into a critical public health concern, marked by its neurodegenerative nature that progressively diminishes cognitive abilities. Recognized as a continuously advancing and presently incurable condition, AD underscores the necessity for early-stage diagnosis and interventions aimed at delaying the decline in mental function. Despite the proven efficacy of cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography in diagnosing AD, their broader utility is constrained by significant costs and the invasive nature of these procedures. Consequently, the innovation of blood biomarkers such as Amyloid-beta, phosphorylated-tau, total-tau et al, distinguished by their high sensitivity, minimal invasiveness, accessibility, and cost-efficiency, emerges as a promising avenue for AD diagnosis. The advent of ultra-sensitive detection methodologies, including single-molecule enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry, has revolutionized the detection of AD plasma biomarkers, supplanting previous low-sensitivity techniques. This rapid advancement in detection technology facilitates the more accurate quantification of pathological brain proteins and AD-associated biomarkers in the bloodstream. This manuscript meticulously reviews the landscape of current research on immunological markers for AD, anchored in the National Institute on Aging—Alzheimer’s Association AT(N) research framework. It highlights a selection of forefront ultra-sensitive detection technologies now integral to assessing AD blood immunological markers. Additionally, this review examines the crucial pre-analytical processing steps for AD blood samples that significantly impact research outcomes and addresses the practical challenges faced during clinical testing. These discussions are crucial for enhancing our comprehension and refining the diagnostic precision of AD using blood-based biomarkers. The review aims to shed light on potential avenues for innovation and improvement in the techniques employed for detecting and investigating AD, thereby contributing to the broader field of neurodegenerative disease research.