New Publication! Protein co-aggregates of dense core amyloid plaques and CSF differ in rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease and slower sporadic Alzheimer’s disease
Dr. Gurkan Bebak
WHO: Dr. Gurkan Bebak is Assistant professor at the Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Department of Nutrition, Department of Computer and Data Sciences, Case Western Reserve University.
WHAT: The study identifies and compare proteins associated with amyloid plaques in rapidly progressive Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain tissue and matched cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, to identify potential biomarkers for rapid disease progression. The study validated key findings against previously published proteomic CSF data from AD patients with rapid progression, identifying the top five potential protein biomarkers for rapid progression in AD CSF.
WHEN: The work was published in May 2025 in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy
WHERE: This study was a collaboration between Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, University of Arizona and Cleveland Clinic and falls under the umbrella of research conducted by the Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
WHY: The rate of clinical decline among AD patients can vary widely from less than 1 year to over 10 years. A rapidly progressive subtype of AD (rpAD) has been reported by us in two US national cohorts, the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (NPDPSC) and the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC). We however still lack biomarkers of rpAD to identify this condition early in patients and help find ways to stop rapid disease progression.
