Scientists at the University Hospital of Bonn have used inflammatory markers in the blood in cases of neuroinflammation to detect dementia in its early stages. The new study results show that the brain's immunity is activated long before the onset of symptomsEvidence of neurodegenerationdelivers. To do this, the study authors measured various proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid. These therefore served as so-called biomarkers that indicate inflammatory processes in the nervous system as well as early symptoms.
Inflammatory markers indicate early-stage dementia
As it turns out, some of these molecules studied appear to be part of a damage control program of the immune system that could be useful for developing new drugs. In recent years it has been shown that the brain's immune system and the associated inflammatory processes, also known as "neuroinflammation", contribute significantly to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Against this background, the scientists analyzed various immunological biomarkers that are characterized by good detectability in the CSF and reproducible results. In addition, they found that some of these inflammatory markers are noticeable even when there are no symptoms of dementia. The increased levels of amyloid and tau were the established biomarkers that indicated neurodegenerative diseases. These are proteins that accumulate in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer's disease.
The research results showed that the values mentioned usually occur before the symptoms of dementia. Therefore, the recorded inflammatory markers are particularly useful for studying neuroinflammation in early stages of disease, the researchers said. Two of these markers in particular – proteins of the “TAM receptor family” – appear to be linked to a damage control program. In study participants with high concentrations of these biomarkers, the brain volume was comparatively large. Accordingly, their cognitive functions also declined more slowly over time. Inflammatory processes are not bad per se, but rather a normal, protective reaction of the immune system to threatening stimuli, especially at the beginning. But they shouldn't last too long, which is why they need to be regulated, according to the study authors.This research workAbove all, shows that these inflammatory markers could be particularly useful in the diagnosis and development of new drugs.
