The brain is the only organ where blood-based or other fluid-based biomarkers are not yet in wider clinical use. Although research has identified numerous substances as candidates for brain biomarkers, the road to clinics has turned out to be long and stony. Yet, there is vast clinical need for these kinds of biomarkers, both because of the limitations (incl. availability) of current diagnostic tools, the complexity of brain pathophysiology, and the prevalence of brain disorders.
Current clinical use has been limited to CSF diagnostics of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, and the use of some blood biomarkers to evaluate the need for an acute CT in traumatic brain injury. In addition, analysis of energy metabolites from brain microdialysate is used in some dedicated centers. New sensitive technologies have given promises to measure brain-derived substances from blood and other easily accessible body fluids. What challenges are faced in developing these biomarkers for clinical use and how can these challenges be tackled? What do the existing results show and what is still missing?
We ask researchers to provide papers covering new results of brain biomarkers especially in acute brain disorders, as well as papers and reviews handling the challenges and shortcomings in the field. Papers on protein biomarkers, metabolomics, genomic biomarkers (microRNA, exosomes) as well as papers on brain biomarker challenges (blood-brain-barrier, glymphatic system, kinetics, etc.) are welcomed.
Conflict of Interests Declaration:
Olli Tenovuo is consultant and member of SAB for NeuroTrauma Sciences LLC (Georgia, USA) and ABCDx SA (Geneva, Switzerland).
Jean-Charles Sanchez has a research grant to disclose from ABCDx SA, (Geneva, Switzerland).
Damir Janigro is the CEO of FloTBI Inc. (Cleveland, USA), a company interested in biomarkers of neurological diseases.
The brain is the only organ where blood-based or other fluid-based biomarkers are not yet in wider clinical use. Although research has identified numerous substances as candidates for brain biomarkers, the road to clinics has turned out to be long and stony. Yet, there is vast clinical need for these kinds of biomarkers, both because of the limitations (incl. availability) of current diagnostic tools, the complexity of brain pathophysiology, and the prevalence of brain disorders.
Current clinical use has been limited to CSF diagnostics of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, and the use of some blood biomarkers to evaluate the need for an acute CT in traumatic brain injury. In addition, analysis of energy metabolites from brain microdialysate is used in some dedicated centers. New sensitive technologies have given promises to measure brain-derived substances from blood and other easily accessible body fluids. What challenges are faced in developing these biomarkers for clinical use and how can these challenges be tackled? What do the existing results show and what is still missing?
We ask researchers to provide papers covering new results of brain biomarkers especially in acute brain disorders, as well as papers and reviews handling the challenges and shortcomings in the field. Papers on protein biomarkers, metabolomics, genomic biomarkers (microRNA, exosomes) as well as papers on brain biomarker challenges (blood-brain-barrier, glymphatic system, kinetics, etc.) are welcomed.
Conflict of Interests Declaration:
Olli Tenovuo is consultant and member of SAB for NeuroTrauma Sciences LLC (Georgia, USA) and ABCDx SA (Geneva, Switzerland).
Jean-Charles Sanchez has a research grant to disclose from ABCDx SA, (Geneva, Switzerland).
Damir Janigro is the CEO of FloTBI Inc. (Cleveland, USA), a company interested in biomarkers of neurological diseases.
