Spaniards have developed a new biomarker to detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear

A new study carried out by the molecular and cellular neurobiotechnology group of the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the University of Barcelona (UB) describes new biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease in asymptomatic stages diseases.

This is – according to the SINC agency – miR-519a-3p moleculea microRNA that is directly linked to the expression of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), which is dysregulated in people suffering from certain neurodegenerative pathologies such as this.

Finding biomarkers that are stable and easily detected in biofluids such as microRNAgives hope for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease in the initial asymptomatic stages, which can help in diagnosis and early treatment a disease that affects more than 35 million people worldwide.

The expression of some microRNAs is impaired in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. However, this is the first time that this microRNA has been specifically linked to decreased cellular prion protein production during its progression.

The search for stable and easily detectable biomarkers in biofluids, such as microRNAs, offers hope for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Currently, tests for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease are usually performed after the first symptoms appear, when there are already underlying cognitive impairments,” he explains. Jose Antonio del Riochief researcher at IBEC, professor at UB and co-director of the study published in the journal Biochimica et Biophisyca Acta (BBA) – the molecular basis of diseases.

“We believe that the discovery of this microRNA may establish additional criteria for more accurate diagnosis in the early stages of the disease,” he adds. In addition, the work provides a comparative analysis of the presence of the biomarker in samples of other neurodegenerative diseases.

Currently, tests for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease are usually performed after the first symptoms appear, when underlying cognitive impairment is already present.

Jose Antonio del Rio
— IBEC

“If our goal is to use miR-519a-3p as a biomarker to detect Alzheimer’s dementia in hypothetically healthy individuals, this is key to ensuring that its levels are not altered in other neurodegenerative diseases,” he says from my side. Rosalina Gavinsenior researcher at IBEC, professor at UB, and co-director of the study.

“In our study, we compared levels of this biomarker in samples from other tauopathies and Parkinson’s disease, confirming that changes in miR-519a-3p are specific to Alzheimer’s disease,” he elaborates.

Validate this miRNA as a biomarker

Next step in investigation as stated Dayanet Jacquomeresearcher and first author of the paper, “is to test miR-519a-3p as a biomarker in blood samples from different patient groups to begin using it in the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in peripheral samples.”

The discovery of this microRNA may establish additional criteria for more accurate diagnosis in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Jose Antonio del Rio

The amount of cellular prion protein changes as the disease progresses, showing higher levels in the early stages and decreasing as the disease progresses.

Although the mechanism responsible for these changes is not known in detail, certain microRNAs have been observed to bind to a specific region of the PRNP gene that controls PrPC expression, reducing it. Therefore, the researchers chose this microRNA for their study.

Link: Dayaneth Jácome et al.: “MiR-519a-3p is found to regulate cellular prion protein during the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, as a biomarker for asymptomatic stages.” Magazine Biochimica et Biophisyca Acta (BBA) – the molecular basis of diseases2024 | DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167187.