Key Points
A novel biomarker for Alzheimer's disease in its asymptomatic phases has been discovered by a recent study headed by the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the University of Barcelona...
The molecule is called miR-519a-3p, and it is a microRNA that has been directly connected to the expression of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), which is dysregulated in patients with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative illnesses...
The hunt for stable, readily observable biomarkers in biofluids, such microRNAs, presents a chance to identify Alzheimer's early on when the disease is asymptomatic..
We believe that the detection of this microRNA may help to establish additional criteria for a more accurate diagnosis in the early stages of the disease," explains IBEC principal investigator Jose Antonio del Rio, full professor at the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UB) and co-leader of the study...
In our study, we compared the levels of this biomarker in samples from other tauopathies and Parkinson's disease, confirming that the changes in miR-519a-3p are specific to Alzheimer's disease," said IBEC senior researcher Rosalina Gavin, UB associate professor and co-leader of the study...
