Ricerc@Sapienza

It is an open issue whether blood biomarkers serve to diagnose Alzheimer's disease (AD) or monitor its progression over time from prodromal stages. Here, we addressed this question starting from data of the European FP7 IMI-PharmaCog/E-ADNI longitudinal study in amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients including biological, clinical, neuropsychological (e.g., ADAS-Cog13), neuroimaging, and electroencephalographic measures.

The Precision Neurology development process implements systems theory with system biology and neurophysiology in a parallel, bidirectional research path: a combined hypothesis-driven investigation of systems dysfunction within distinct molecular, cellular, and large-scale neural network systems in both animal models as well as through tests for the usefulness of these candidate dynamic systems biomarkers in different diseases and subgroups at different stages of pathophysiological progression.

BACKGROUND:
Early Alzheimer's disease (AD) detection using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers has been recommended as enrichment strategy for trials involving mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients.

OBJECTIVE:
To model a prodromal AD trial for identifying MRI structural biomarkers to improve subject selection and to be used as surrogate outcomes of disease progression.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether baseline concentrations of plasma total tau (t-Tau) and neurofilament light (NfL) chain proteins are associated with annual percent change (APC) of the basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) in cognitively intact older adults at risk for Alzheimer disease (AD).MethodsThis was a large-scale study of 276 cognitively intact older adults from the monocentric INSIGHT-preAD (Investigation of Alzheimer's Predictors in Subjective Memory Complainers) cohort.

Oxidative stress is a pathological feature common to a multitude of neurological diseases. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the main mechanism underlying this cellular redox imbalance. Antioxidants protect biological targets against ROS, therefore, they have been considered as attractive potential therapeutic agents to counteract ROS-mediated neuronal damage.

Background. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The treatment choice for advanced stage of lung cancer may depend on histotype, performance status (PS), age, and comorbidities. In the present study, we focused on the effect of metronomic vinorelbine treatment in elderly patients with advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. From January 2016 to December 2016, 44 patients affected by non- small cell lung cancer referred to our oncology day hospital were progressively analyzed.

Adulteration of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana with cow milk is a common fraud because of the high price and limited seasonal availability of water buffalo milk. To identify such adulteration, this work proposes a novel approach based on the use of species-specific, low-molecular-weight biomarkers (LMWBs). Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry screening analyses identified β-carotene, lutein, and β-cryptoxanthin as LMWBs of cow milk, while ergocalciferol was found only in water buffalo milk.

Physical frailty and sarcopenia (PF&S) are hallmarks of aging that share a common pathogenic background. Perturbations in protein/amino acid metabolism may play a role in the development of PF&S. In this initial report, 68 community-dwellers aged 70 years and older, 38 with PF&S and 30 non-sarcopenic, non-frail controls (nonPF&S), were enrolled as part as the "BIOmarkers associated with Sarcopenia and Physical frailty in EldeRly pErsons" (BIOSPHERE) study. A panel of 37 serum amino acids and derivatives was assayed by UPLC-MS.

Background and aim: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in old age. Neurotoxicity of dopaminergic neurons triggered by aggregation of misfolded α-synuclein is a major pathogenic trait of PD. However, growing evidence indicates that peripheral processes, including metabolic changes, may precede and contribute to neurodegeneration. The present study was undertaken to identify a metabolic signature of PD through the quantification of serum amino acids and derivatives.

The construct of physical frailty and sarcopenia (PF&S) identifies an age-related pre-disability condition defined by reduced physical performance and low muscle mass. Whether PF&S is characterized by perturbations of the cytokine network is presently unclear. Furthermore, the existence of gender-specific inflammatory profiles of PF&S is unknown. This study was designed to explore the association between a large panel of inflammatory biomolecules and PF&S in older adults through a multivariate statistical approach.