Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s (PD) are rising global health challenges, impairing cognition, motor abilities, and quality of life. As the population ages, these diseases are expected to increase, with slow progression often delaying diagnosis until advanced stages. Biomarkers from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, imaging, and urine are key to early detection, tracking progression, and evaluating treatments, though each method has tradeoffs. Ongoing efforts aim to improve diagnostic tools for earlier identification and better monitoring of therapies.

In AD, reduced Aβ42/Aβ40 and phosphorylated tau in CSF reflect disease stages, with new tests improving early diagnosis. NfL shows promise for tracking ALS progression, though more research is needed to link it to effective treatments. TDP43-related biomarkers offer hope for preclinical ALS detection and gene therapy. In PD, alpha-synuclein from CSF and extracellular vesicles helps diagnose and monitor disease, though the lack of disease-modifying therapies limits its current use. Research into PD’s microbiome, mitochondrial dysfunction, and potential therapies highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for better patient outcomes.

Reference: Cheslow L, Snook AE, Waldman SA. Biomarkers for Managing Neurodegenerative Diseases. Biomolecules. 2024 Mar 26;14(4):398. doi: 10.3390/biom14040398. PMID: 38672416; PMCID: PMC11048498.