On 8 May, Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley and collaborators on the European Medical Information Framework (EMIF) project published a paperin the Alzheimer’s and Dementia journal, identifying primary fatty acid amides (PFAMs) as potential biomarkers for amyloid beta (Aβ) in people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Identifying people during the very early, preclinical stages of AD is extremely challenging, as the more definitive diagnostic tests (such as measuring Aβ in cerebrospinal fluid) are highly invasive. One of the research goals of EMIF was therefore to find biomarkers of preclinical AD, which could be measured less invasively from blood plasma samples of people at risk of developing AD.
In this study, Dr Legido-Quigley and co-authors screened blood plasma samples from 593 EMIF participants with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and AD. They identified a panel of metabolites (small molecules produced during metabolic processes), which were altered in the blood of participants with elevated Aβ. Interestingly, this metabolite panel included PFAMs thought to be synthesised in the brain, such as oleamide, an endocannabinoid. More detailed analyses showed that altered PFAM levels were associated with certain cognitive symptoms of AD, such as lower attention levels and short-term memory problems. The EMIF project was funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), operating under agreement number 115372.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1552526019300743
