We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Using Transcriptome Analysis to Detect Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 29 Jul 2019
Transcriptome analysis was used as a method for detecting individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who were not yet displaying symptoms of the disorder.

Currently there are no good methods for detecting asymptomatic AD patients despite the fact that they may share similar neuropathological burdens as symptomatic individuals while experiencing significantly different rates of cognitive decline.

To develop a method for diagnosing asymptomatic AD patients, investigators at the University of California, San Diego (USA) used the transcriptome as a proxy for functional state, and selected 414 expression profiles of symptomatic AD subjects and age-matched non-demented controls from a community-based neuropathological study. More...
Because it includes all mRNA transcripts in the cell, the transcriptome reflects the genes that are being actively expressed at any given time. Unlike the genome, which is roughly fixed for a given cell line (excluding mutations), the transcriptome can vary with external environmental conditions.

Results of the transcriptome survey revealed that by combining brain tissue-specific protein interactomes (an interactome is the whole set of molecular interactions in a particular cell) with gene networks, the investigators were able to identify functionally distinct composite clusters of genes that revealed extensive changes in expression levels in AD. Global expression for clusters broadly corresponding to synaptic transmission, metabolism, cell cycle, survival, and immune response were downregulated, while the upregulated cluster included largely uncharacterized processes.

These results highlighted the utility of integrating protein interactions with gene perturbations to generate a comprehensive framework for characterizing alterations in the molecular network as applied to AD.

“One of the big problems in AD research is identifying patients at risk at the right time,” said senior author Dr. Robert Rissman, professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego. “Understanding the gene networks that may change in specific patient groups can help streamline clinical trials recruitment efforts and reduce costs and time to enroll trials. With the field shifting more and more toward pre-symptomatic disease, we need to expand our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the entire disease spectrum.”

The transcriptome analysis study was published in the July 23, 2019, issue of the journal Cell Reports.

Related Links:
University of California, San Diego


Gold Member
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Enterovirus Test
Quanty Enterovirus System
New
Shaking Incubator
Corning LSE 71L
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Non-coding RNAs CBR3-AS1 and PCA3 can be utilized as therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers in gastric cancer (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Promising Molecular Markers Support Earlier Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer

Late detection continues to make gastric cancer one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. With improved early detection tools urgently needed, researchers have now identified two long... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The tip optofluidic immunoassay platform enables rapid, multiplexed antibody profiling using only 1 μL of fingertip blood (Photo courtesy of hLife, DOI:10.1016/j.hlife.2025.04.005)

POC Diagnostic Platform Performs Immune Analysis Using One Drop of Fingertip Blood

As new COVID-19 variants continue to emerge and individuals accumulate complex histories of vaccination and infection, there is an urgent need for diagnostic tools that can quickly and accurately assess... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The new technology combines a rapid hemoglobin test with a smartphone app (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Smartphone-Based Rapid Hemoglobin Test Accurately Detects Colorectal Cancer

Despite the availability of colorectal cancer screening programs, participation remains low, especially for fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), a non-invasive method to detect hidden blood in the stool.... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The machine learning-based method delivers near-perfect survival estimates for PAC patients (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

AI Method Predicts Overall Survival Rate of Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate adenocarcinoma (PAC) accounts for 99% of prostate cancer diagnoses and is the second most common cancer in men globally after skin cancer. With more than 3.3 million men in the United States diagnosed... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.