SIMOA-based analysis of plasma NFL levels in MCI and AD patients

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is widely recognized as the most common etiology of dementia [1] and is currently ranked as the sixth most prevalent cause of mortality in the United States. The global prevalence of AD is expected to rise to 135 million individuals by the year 2050 [1].

There is currently no definitive diagnostic test or biomarker for the disease, which means that diagnosis often involves ruling out other causes of cognitive decline [2]. Several biomarkers have been identified that can potentially be used for diagnosing AD in its early stages. The four main biomarkers found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), i.e., amyloid beta (Aβ)1–42, Aβ42/40 ratio, Tau, and phosphorylated-Tau (p-Tau)181, are reliable for supporting AD diagnosis as they indicate the hallmark AD pathologies of amyloidosis and neurodegeneration [3]. Although these CSF biomarkers are reliable for supporting AD diagnostics, the process of collecting CSF can be inconvenient for subjects and may cause procedural efforts. This prevents their use as a screening item in initial, asymptomatic subjects and makes repetitive monitoring of the disease progression challenging. Therefore, there is a significant necessity to develop blood-based markers that can provide targeted and fairly noninvasive screening tests in the right context of clinical application

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