Circulating microRNAs in Alzheimer's disease: The search for novel biomarkers

Véronique Dorval, Peter T. Nelson, Sébastien S. Hébert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. While advancements have been made in understanding the genetic and molecular basis of AD, the clinical diagnosis of AD remains difficult, and post-mortem confirmation is often required. Furthermore, the onset of neurodegeneration precedes clinical symptoms by approximately a decade. Consequently, there is a crucial need for an early and accurate diagnosis of AD, which can potentially lead to strategies that can slow down or stop the progression of neurodegeneration and dementia. Recent advances in the non-coding RNA field have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) can function as powerful biomarkers in human diseases. Studies are emerging suggesting that circulating miRNAs in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood serum have characteristic changes in AD patients. Whether miRNAs can be used in AD diagnosis, alone or in combination with other AD biomarkers (e.g., amyloid and tau), warrants further investigation.

Original languageEnglish
Article number24
JournalFrontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
Volume6
Issue numberAUG
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 30 2013

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Biomarker
  • Diagnosis
  • Mild cognitive impairment
  • microRNA

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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