Journal Article

DZNE-2026-00880

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Plasma proteome profiling identified biomarkers for the differential diagnosis and molecular staging of neurodegenerative dementias.

Bellomo, G. ; Vermunt, L. ; In 't Veld, S. ; Doecke, J. D. ; Hok-A-Hin, Y. S. ; Veverová, K. ; Houtkamp, I. M. ; Alcolea, D. ; Halbgebauer, S.DZNE* ; Quesada, C. ; Mattsson, N. ; Martinez-Castillo, M. ; López-Martínez, M. J. ; Rábano, A. ; Boonkamp, L. ; Fowler, C. ; Fortea, J. ; Gaetani, L. ; Toja, A. ; Pijnenburg, Y. ; Lemstra, A. ; van der Flier, W. M. ; Sánchez-Juan, P. ; Hort, J. ; Otto, M. ; Anderl-Staub, S. ; Sieben, A. ; de Viel, B. ; Engelborghs, S. ; Hansson, O. ; Masters, C. ; Lleó, A. ; Parnetti, L. ; Teunissen, C. E. ; Del Campo, M.

2026
Nature Research London

This record in other databases:    

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1038/s43587-026-01162-7

Abstract: Blood-based biomarkers are emerging as scalable tools for the diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases, but markers enabling differential diagnosis across major dementias remain limited. Here we show that large-scale plasma proteomics identifies disease-associated signatures across Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. We analyzed 1,318 plasma samples from well-characterized international cohorts and identified more than 200 dysregulated proteins across disease groups. Glial fibrillary acidic protein showed the strongest increase along the Alzheimer's disease continuum, whereas integrin alpha-V and integrin alpha-M were consistently reduced in Lewy body disorders, including autopsy-confirmed cases. Elevated neurofilament light chain and lower glial fibrillary acidic protein were associated with frontotemporal dementia. We translated these findings into a 21-protein quantitative multiplex panel and validated it in an independent multicenter cohort (n = 805). These findings support plasma proteomics as an approach for biomarker-based differential diagnosis and disease staging across major neurodegenerative dementias.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Biomarkers: blood (MeSH) ; Diagnosis, Differential (MeSH) ; Proteomics: methods (MeSH) ; Proteome: metabolism (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Alzheimer Disease: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Alzheimer Disease: blood (MeSH) ; Aged (MeSH) ; Frontotemporal Dementia: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Frontotemporal Dementia: blood (MeSH) ; Neurodegenerative Diseases: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Neurodegenerative Diseases: blood (MeSH) ; Lewy Body Disease: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Lewy Body Disease: blood (MeSH) ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein: blood (MeSH) ; Dementia: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Dementia: blood (MeSH) ; Cohort Studies (MeSH) ; Biomarkers ; Proteome ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

---

Contributing Institute(s):

1. Clinical Study Center (Ulm) (Clinical Study Center (Ulm))

Research Program(s):

1. 353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353) (POF4-353)

Appears in the scientific report 2026

---

Database coverage:
; ; ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; DEAL Nature ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 15 ; JCR ; National-Konsortium ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

---