Home › Research › Biomarkers
Novel blood-based proteomic signatures across multiple neurodegenerative diseases
Durcan R, Heslegrave A, Swann P, Goddard J, Chouliaras L, Murley AG, Savulich G, Bevan-Jones WR et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025-03-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Introduction Blood-based biomarkers have the potential to support early and accurate diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases, which are sensitive to molecular pathology and are predictive of outcome. We evaluated a novel multiplex proteomic method in people with diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Methods Serum from people with Alzheimer's disease (N = 36), Lewy body dementia (N = 34), frontotemporal dementia (N = 36), and progressive supranuclear palsy (N = 36) and age-matched controls (N = 30) was analyzed with the nucleic acid linked immuno-sandwich assay (NULISA) central nervous system panel (≈ 120 analytes) and inflammation panel (250 analytes). Biomarkers were compared across groups and included as predictors of survival. Results The NULISA panels demonstrated high sensitivity and reliability for detecting multiple biomarkers across neurodegenerative disorders. There were condition-specific proteomic biomarkers, while neurofilament light chain, corticotropin-releasing hormone, CD276, and a data-driven inflammation pattern were significant transdiagnostic outcome predictors. Discussion The sensitive NULISA multiplex approach supports differential diagnosis and target identification, with prognostically informative dementia-related biomarkers. Highlights We tested the novel technology nucleic acid linked immuno-sandwich assay (NULISA) in people with diverse neurodegenerative diseases, which demonstrated high sensitivity and reliability for detecting multiple biomarkers in serum samples. We compared the NULISA central nervous system serum results to single molecule array (Simoa) plasma assays for phosphorylated tau (p-tau)217, p-tau231, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein, finding strong correlations. Increased levels of serum NfL were identified across all patient groups and most elevated in the frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) cohorts, while p-tau epitopes were the most significant markers in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia. Patients with FTD and PSP showed upregulation of many inflammation markers, compared to controls and patients with AD. We found condition-specific proteomic biomarkers, while NfL, corticotropin-releasing hormone, CD276, and data-driven immune signatures were significant transdiagnostic predictors of clinical outcomes (survival rates).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Durcan, R., Heslegrave, A., Swann, P., Goddard, J., Chouliaras, L., Murley, A. G., et al. (2025). Novel blood-based proteomic signatures across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70116
Vancouver
Durcan R, Heslegrave A, Swann P, Goddard J, Chouliaras L, Murley AG, et al. Novel blood-based proteomic signatures across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70116. PMID: 40145305.
BibTeX
@article{durcan2025-40145305,
author = {Durcan, R. and Heslegrave, A. and Swann, P. and Goddard, J. and Chouliaras, L. and Murley, A. G. and Savulich, G. and Bevan-Jones, W. R. and others},
title = {{Novel blood-based proteomic signatures across multiple neurodegenerative diseases}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70116},
pmid = {40145305},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70116}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results The NULISA panels demonstrated high sensitivity and reliability for detecting multiple biomarkers across neurodegenerative disorders.
- There were condition-specific proteomic biomarkers, while neurofilament light chain, corticotropin-releasing hormone, CD276, and a data-driven inflammation pattern were significant transdiagnostic outcome predictors.
- Highlights We tested the novel technology nucleic acid linked immuno-sandwich assay (NULISA) in people with diverse neurodegenerative diseases, which demonstrated high sensitivity and reliability for detecting multiple biomarkers in serum samples.
- We compared the NULISA central nervous system serum results to single molecule array (Simoa) plasma assays for phosphorylated tau (p-tau)217, p-tau231, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein, finding strong correlations.
- Increased levels of serum NfL were identified across all patient groups and most elevated in the frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) cohorts, while p-tau epitopes were the most significant markers in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Participants36
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 32 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 55 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 36 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40145305) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 32 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 32 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 55 out of 100. |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Free copy unknown: no free-copy check has an answer for this record yet. That does not mean it is paywalled.
Related studies in Biomarkers
Also tagged “multiple”
2 studies in the library carry the topic tag “multiple”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 2 tagged studies.