Ageing biomarkers may aid Alzheimer’s diagnosis, research suggests

Ageing biomarkers may aid Alzheimer’s diagnosis, with research suggesting they could help distinguish the condition from other brain disorders.

Research led by Dr Bryan Ng, Prof Nick Fox and Prof Henrik Zetterberg at the UK DRI at UCL showed that biomarkers linked to ageing are altered in people with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is marked by a build-up of amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles, harmful proteins in the brain linked to declining memory and thinking.

The study examined cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, from people with Alzheimer’s, other neurodegenerative conditions and no such condition.

Researchers analysed seven possible markers of biological ageing, which refers to how old the body appears at a cellular level rather than a person’s age in years.

They found that two biomarkers, osteopontin and matrix metallopeptidase 10, known as MMP-10, were raised specifically in people with Alzheimer’s.

When added to a testing panel, the proteins helped distinguish Alzheimer’s from other neurodegenerative conditions such as frontotemporal dementia.

The team also found links between the two proteins and disease features. MMP-10 was linked to cognitive impairment, while osteopontin was linked to pathological signs of amyloid beta build-up in the cerebrospinal fluid.

The findings suggest proteins associated with biological ageing are implicated in clinical outcomes in Alzheimer’s, and that MMP-10 and osteopontin could be useful additions to biomarker testing for the condition.

Dr Bryan Ng, former UK DRI postdoctoral researcher, said: “Our study suggests that brain ageing plays a role in Alzheimer’s, and that using MMP-10 and osteopontin as ageing-associated biomarkers could improve how we measure and track Alzheimer’s progression.”