Early diagnostics and therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease – how early can we get there?

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major threat for the rapidly aging world population. AD is the leading cause of dementia and a major cause of death in developed countries. The disease puts a tremendous practical, emotional and financial burden on individuals and governments. Clinicians and researchers in the AD field face great challenges: the pathophysiological processes that cause AD are not well understood, definite diagnosis of AD requires autopsy, and therapeutic options are limited to treating the symptoms rather than the cause of the disease. Nevertheless, new insights into the earliest events that lead to development of AD increase hope that reliable diagnostics and efficacious therapies may emerge. KeywordsAβ; Alzheimer's disease; amyloid; dementia; diagnosis; mild cognitive impairment; therapy Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of late-life dementia, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all dementia cases [1]. AD is a major cause of death and a tremendous financial and emotional problem, the magnitude of which is predicted to increase steeply in the next few decades if no cure is found. Here, we review the current knowledge of the processes that lead to AD and their implications on recent advances in diagnostics and therapeutics for AD. To this end, we have chosen a stepwise approach of increasing complexity in each step. We discuss how molecular events affect cells, cellular insults accumulate into tissue damage and tissue deterioration eventually affects the whole person. This stepwise approach is directed at both clinicians and basic researchers working in the AD field. †Author for correspondence,

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“…Currently approved drugs for AD treat the symptoms, rather than the causes of the disease and provide only moderate and temporary relief [27]. AD is the leading cause of dementia and one of the leading causes of death among elderly people [28].…”

Raman spectroscopy of blood serum for Alzheimer's disease diagnostics: specificity relative to other types of dementia

“…AD has numerous clinical manifestations, such as a gradual loss of short‐term memory, language problems, progressive difficulty performing familiar motor tasks, temporal and spatial disorientation, impairments in abstract thinking, and disturbances in behavior and personality, including sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, psychosis and dementia . These symptoms are associated with significant morphological alterations of the brain tissue that are caused by processes related to the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) .…”

Selection of Aptamers for Amyloid β-Protein, the Causative Agent of Alzheimer's Disease

“… Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, age-dependent, neurodegenerative disorder with an insidious course that renders its presymptomatic diagnosis difficult1. Definite AD diagnosis is achieved only postmortem, thus establishing presymptomatic, early diagnosis of AD is crucial for developing and administering effective therapies2,3.…”