en
  • Deutsch - de
  • English - en
  • About
      About us
        Our Measures
          Members
            Cluster Management
               PhD & Postdoc representatives
                Scientific Advisory Board
                   International cooperation partners
                    Timeline
                       Media Kit
                        Contact
                      • News & Events
                          News
                            Events
                              In the News
                                Open Positions
                              • Research
                                  Publications
                                    Our Research Focus
                                      Technology Hubs
                                        Research Spotlight
                                          Data Management & Sharing
                                            Sustainability Initiative
                                               Code of Conduct
                                            • Science & Society
                                                For Schools & Students
                                                  Public Events
                                                    Podcasts
                                                      Videos
                                                    • Support for Diversity & Equity
                                                        Newcomer Center
                                                          Gender Equality Program
                                                            Early Career Investigator Program
                                                          1. Home
                                                          2. News & Events
                                                          3. News
                                                          4. Neurodegenerative diseases: advances in diagnosis
                                                          News | 12/09/2024 | Press Release

                                                          Neurodegenerative diseases: advances in diagnosis

                                                          A new biomarker makes it easier to distinguish between Alzheimer’s and primary tauopathy.
                                                          LMU Klinikum

                                                          Patients regularly show up at university hospitals with diseases so rare and specific as to be scarcely known to physicians in private practice. Primary 4-repeat tauopathies are a good example. These are diseases which are primarily associated with movement disorders, but with symptoms that can often resemble those of Alzheimer’s disease, making precise diagnosis difficult. Now researchers at LMU University Hospital have found biomarkers that enable doctors to reliably distinguish the two conditions – albeit only with data from a particular imaging technique called positron emission tomography (PET). “The new diagnostic algorithm we developed allows physicians to differentiate with greater precision between Alzheimer’s disease and primary tauopathies, which facilitates earlier and more precise diagnosis and supports personalized treatment strategies,” says principal investigator Professor Matthias Brendel, acting director of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and member of the SyNergy Cluster of Excellence. The results have now been published in the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

                                                          In Alzheimer’s disease and primary 4-repeat tauopathies, large pathological aggregates of the tau protein are found in the brain. For decades, it has been possible to detect tau proteins for Alzheimer’s disease by analyzing the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

                                                          In recent times, however, researchers have developed radioactively labeled substances (tracers) that accumulate at the tau aggregates after injection into the body, which are visible on the PET images. “Our new study shows that tau can be identified with the novel tau PET tracer even in 4-repeat tauopathies – but not in the cerebrospinal fluid, rather in very specific areas of the brain known as the subcortical brain regions,” explains Roxane Dilcher, lead author of the study.

                                                          However, the PET signal is just one component of a complex new diagnostic process. The researchers have additionally found new biomarkers that indicate the presence of a 4-repeat tauopathy. “Diagnosis gets really effective when we analyze a combination of cerebrospinal fluid test, innovative biomarkers, and PET signal in the subcortical regions,” says Matthias Brendel. “Then we can recognize a 4-repeat tauopathy with a high degree of certainty.”

                                                          “Primary 4-repeat tauopathies are diagnosed almost exclusively using clinical criteria at present – without specific biomarkers that enable conclusive diagnosis in patients,” says co-senior author Dr. Nicolai Franzmeier, who is also a member of SyNergy. “The establishment of a biological definition and corresponding biomarker workflows will decidedly advance the research field.”

                                                          • Read the press release on the website of the LMU

                                                          Participating Universities
                                                           LMU logo in white
                                                           TUM logo in white
                                                          Partner Institutions
                                                           Logo DZNE in white
                                                          Helmholtz Munich logo in white 
                                                           Logo Max Planck Gesellschaft 

                                                          SyNergy is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) within the framework of the German Excellence Strategy (EXC 2145 SyNergy – ID 390857198). The Excellence Strategy promotes outstanding research at German universities. 

                                                          Contact

                                                          Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy)

                                                          Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17
                                                          81377 Munich
                                                          +49 (0)89 4400-46497
                                                          yüubgybcјuipxј_vfulyz mi
                                                          Login for editors
                                                          Imprint | Data-Safety
                                                          en
                                                          • Deutsch - de
                                                          • English - en

                                                          Home

                                                          • About
                                                            • About us
                                                            • Our Measures
                                                            • Members
                                                            • Cluster Management
                                                            •  PhD & Postdoc representatives
                                                            • Scientific Advisory Board
                                                            •  International cooperation partners
                                                            • Timeline
                                                            •  Media Kit
                                                            • Contact
                                                          • News & Events
                                                            • News
                                                            • Events
                                                            • In the News
                                                            • Open Positions
                                                          • Research
                                                            • Publications
                                                            • Our Research Focus
                                                            • Technology Hubs
                                                            • Research Spotlight
                                                            • Data Management & Sharing
                                                            • Sustainability Initiative
                                                            •  Code of Conduct
                                                          • Science & Society
                                                            • For Schools & Students
                                                            • Public Events
                                                            • Podcasts
                                                            • Videos
                                                          • Support for Diversity & Equity
                                                            • Newcomer Center
                                                            • Gender Equality Program
                                                            • Early Career Investigator Program