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Blood-based systems biology biomarkers for next-generation clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Hampel, Harald 
Vergallo, Andrea 
Afshar, Mohammad 
Akman-Anderson, Leyla 
Arenas, Joaquin 

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—a complex disease showing multiple pathomechanistic alterations—is triggered by nonlinear dynamic interactions of genetic/epigenetic and environmental risk factors, which, ultimately, converge into a biologically heterogeneous disease. To tackle the burden of AD during early preclinical stages, accessible blood-based biomarkers are currently being developed. Specifically, next-generation clinical trials are expected to integrate positive and negative predictive blood-based biomarkers into study designs to evaluate, at the individual level, target druggability and potential drug resistance mechanisms. In this scenario, systems biology holds promise to accelerate validation and qualification for clinical trial contexts of use—including proof-of-mechanism, patient selection, assessment of treatment efficacy and safety rates, and prognostic evaluation. Albeit in their infancy, systems biology-based approaches are poised to identify relevant AD “signatures” through multifactorial and interindividual variability, allowing us to decipher disease pathophysiology and etiology. Hopefully, innovative biomarker-drug codevelopment strategies will be the road ahead towards effective disease-modifying drugs.

Description

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease, systems biology, precision medicine, blood-based biomarker, context of use, pathophysiology, clinical trial, predictive biomarker, biomarker-drug codevelopment

Journal Title

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1958-5969
1958-5969

Volume Title

21

Publisher

Les Laboratoires Servier

Rights

Publisher's own licence
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MR/P021573/1)
Includes MRC funding