Novel blood-based biomarkers for dementia could identify disease at an early preclinical stage, serve as surrogate outcomes for clinical trials of investigational therapies and even identify future potential therapeutic targets. Unlike cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers that require a spinal tap, plasma biomarkers can be extracted from the blood, making their collection much less invasive and much more appealing for patients. In a study published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, a team led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital describes the role of plasma ceramides in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their potential as a blood-based biomarker.
“Our findings indicate that circulating ceramide ratios may be…