SBIR-STTR Award

The present lack of blood-based diagnosis requires AD patients to be subjected to either invasive spinal fluid (CSF) tapping, expensive MRI or PET imaging, or arduous psychological testing, all unsuitable and costly for our elderly. Strategically, we shall address this unmet need by generating systemic biomarkers detectable in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum/plasma, focusing on two classes of molecules, micro- RNAs and their target genes, which generally exhibit an inverse relationship because the former noncoding RNA functions by partially repressing the latter"s expression as a "dimmer switch", via binding either at the co- ding region of the message, thus degrading it, or at the 3"-untranslated region, to inhibit translation. Thus, key microRNAs and their targets can serve as disease biomarkers, in "see-saw" balance, applicable for new diagnostics and/or therapy. Our pilot study with a small cohort of 16 AD and 16 age-matched normal elderly controls (NEC) revealed: 1. Predominant down-regulation of gene expression at the message level in AD PBMC; and 2. Correlated up-regulation of microRNA (miR) expression in PBMC of the same individuals. In this proposal, we focus on a specific up-regulated microRNA, miR-34a, whose known targets are SIRT1, cdk4, cdk6, cyclin E2, bcl2, etc. SIRT1 is a member of the 7-member Silent Information Regulator protein family. Caloric restriction extends longevity through triggering expression of SIRT1, which can also be mimicked by resveratrol, a red wine polyphenol. SIRT1 reduction is linked to accumulation of Tau and A242 production, two hallmarks of AD etiopathogenesis. Thus, we suggest that in AD there is a systemic effect detectable in PBMC and serum/plasma; up-regulated miR-34a may induce down-regulation of SIRT1, with attendant pathophysiologic results. In this proposal, we plan to generate for this "see-saw" of changes miR-34a/SIRT1 Target Pair Ratio (TPR) indices, to quantify both disease presence as well as progress; the indices should also provide an unprecedented evaluation of drug efficacy. This Fast-track proposal of two phases is planned with our existing small cohort study as the roadmap for the larger cohort investigation: Phase I of six months with our existing small 16 AD and 16 NEC sample cohorts to: Aim 1. study possible down-regulation of miR-34a"s known targets; and Aim 2. develop a feasibility study of pilot miR-34a/SIRT1 TPR-indices; and Phase II of two years with larger cohorts of 200 AD and 200 NEC participants: Aim 1.Establish a Bio-Repository of PBMC-DNA, -RNA & -protein specimens, and serum/plasma samples for assays in Aims 2 & 3; Aim 2. Generate PBMC-based miR34a/SIRT1 (& other targets) TPR indices; and Aim 3. Perform feasibility study to develop serum/plasma-based miR- 34a/SIRT1-TPR indices. Success of this project will allow us to generate PBMC- and serum-based miR-TPR indices as personalized diagnostics for AD victims, meeting an urgent need in health care, a huge gain for disease victims, their caregivers, and our society at large.

Public Health Relevance:
At present, the absence of any blood-based diagnosis for Alzheimer"s disease (AD) requires patients to enduring arduous neuropsychological testing, invasive cerebrospinal fluid tapping, and/or expensive MRI or PET imaging, with definitive diagnosis deferred until brain autopsy. Our preliminary findings, based on new science concerning a novel molecular species, microRNAs (miR) and their "see-saw" partial repression of the expression of their target gene(s), suggest that potential disease biomarkers for AD are detectable systemical- ly in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and/or serum/plasma, and may be quantified as miR-Target Pair Ra- tios (TPR). Our plan is to define AD-specific TPR indices, initially focusing on miR-34a and its target, SIRT1, whose reduction is known to be associated with increased Tau and A242, two hallmarks of AD etiopathogene- sis; our ultimate goal is a "Tool-Box" of TPR indices, miR-34a/SIRT1-TPR being the first such AD diagnostic, indicating not only disease presence, but also its progress (and even drug efficacy monitoring), a huge strate- gic gain for the victims of this costly disease, and our society at large!

Thesaurus Terms:
3' Untranslated Regions; 3'utr; 3,4',5-Stilbenetriol; 3,5,4'-Trihydroxystilbene; App Processing; Address; Age; Aged 65 And Over; Aging; Alzheimer; Alzheimer Disease; Alzheimer Sclerosis; Alzheimer Syndrome; Alzheimer's; Alzheimer's Disease; Alzheimers Dementia; Alzheimers Disease; Amyloid Plaques; Apoptosis; Apoptosis Pathway; Assay; Autopsy; Back; Binding; Binding (Molecular Function); Bioassay; Biogenesis; Biologic Assays; Biological Assay; Blood; Blood Plasma; Blood Serum; Boxing; Brain; Brain Pathology; Ccne2 Protein; Cdk4; Cdk4 Gene; Cmm3; Caloric Restriction; Care Givers; Care, Health; Caregivers; Cell Communication And Signaling; Cell Cycle; Cell Death, Programmed; Cell Division Cycle; Cell Signaling; Cells; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Code; Coding System; Cohort Studies; Concurrent Studies; Dna; Dna Damage Repair; Dna Repair; Deacetylase; Dementia, Alzheimer Type; Dementia, Primary Senile Degenerative; Dementia, Senile; Deoxyribonucleic Acid; Diagnosis; Diagnostic; Disease; Disorder; Dorsum; Down-Regulation; Down-Regulation (Physiology); Downregulation; Elderly; Elderly, Over 65; Encephalon; Encephalons; Equilibrium; Evaluation; Exhibits; Expression Profiling; Expression Signature; Family; Feasibility Studies; Foot; G1/S-Specific Cyclin E2; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Profile; Gene Products, Rna; Gene Targeting; Gene Transcription; Genes; Genes, P53; Genetic Transcription; Goals; Healthcare; Individual; Intracellular Communication And Signaling; Investigation; Investments; Knowledge; Lead; Length Of Life; Link; Longevity; Mgc14458; Mr Imaging; Mr Tomography; Mri; Mt-Bound Tau; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan; Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; Medical Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography; Micro Rna; Micrornas; Modeling; Molecular; Molecular Fingerprinting; Molecular Interaction; Molecular Profiling; Monitor; Mononuclear; Nmr Imaging; Nmr Tomography; Nervous System, Brain; Neuritic Plaques; Neurofibrillary Tangles; Neuropsychologic Tests; Neuropsychological Tests; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Origin Of Life; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; P53; Pbmc; Pet; Pet Scan; Pet Imaging; Petscan; Pett; Psk-J3; Participant; Patients; Pb Element; Peripheral; Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell; Pes; Phase; Physiologic; Physiological; Pilot Projects; Plasma; Positron Emission Tomography Scan; Positron-Emission Tomography; Primary Senile Degenerative Dementia; Printing; Production; Protein Family; Proteins; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging; Psychologic Tests; Psychological Tests; Rna; Rna Expression; Rna, Non-Polyadenylated; Rna, Noncoding; Rna, Nontranslated; Rna, Untranslated; Rad.-Pet; Redox; Repression; Research; Research Specimen; Resveratrol; Reticuloendothelial System, Blood; Reticuloendothelial System, Serum, Plasma; Ribonucleic Acid; Risk; Sampling; Science; Screening Procedure; Senescence; Senile Plaques; Serum; Serum, Plasma; Signal Transduction; Signal Transduction Systems; Signaling; Societies; Specimen; Stress; Synapses; Synaptic; Tp53; Tp53 Gene; Trp53; Targetings, Gene; Testing; Transcription; Transcription, Genetic; Translations; Tumor Protein P53 Gene; Unscheduled Dna Synthesis; Untranslated Rna; Up-Regulation; Up-Regulation (Physiology); Upregulation; Work; Zeugmatography; Abnormally Aggregated Tau Protein; Advanced Age; Aggregation Of Microtubule Associated Protein Tau; Aggregation Of Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau; Amyloid Beta Plaque; Amyloid Precursor Protein Processing; Amyloid-B Plaque; Balance; Balance Function; Base; Biological Signal Transduction; Biomarker; Calorie Restriction; Cohort; Cored Plaque; Cyclin E2; Dementia Of The Alzheimer Type; Diffuse Plaque; Disease/Disorder; Drug Efficacy; Elders; Feeding; Filamentous Tau Inclusion; Foot; Gene Expression Signature; Gene Product; Geriatric; Heavy Metal Pb; Heavy Metal Lead; Indexing; Injury Response; Interest; Late Life; Later Life; Life Span; Lifespan; Meetings; Member; Mirna; Microtubule Associated Protein Tau; Microtubule Associated Protein Tau Aggregation; Microtubule Associated Protein Tau Deposit; Microtubule Bound Tau; Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau; Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau Aggregation; Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau Deposit; Microtubule-Bound Tau; Molecuar Profile; Molecular Signature; Necropsy; Neurofibrillary Degeneration; Neurofibrillary Lesion; Neurofibrillary Pathology; New Diagnostics; Next Generation Diagnostics; Novel; Novel Diagnostics; Older Adult; Older Person; Oxidation Reduction Reaction; Paired Helical Filament Of Tau; Pilot Study; Polyphenol; Postmortem; Primary Degenerative Dementia; Protein Expression; Public Health Relevance; Red Wine; Repository; Response To Injury; Screening; Screenings; Self-Aggregate Tau; Senescence; Senescent; Senile Dementia Of The Alzheimer Type; Senior Citizen; Spinal Fluid; Success; Tangle; Tau; Tau Phf; Tau Phf Formation; Tau Proteins; Tau Accumulation; Tau Aggregate; Tau Aggregation; Tau Factor; Tau Fibrillization; Tau Filament; Tau Filament Assembly; Tau Neurofibrillary Tangle; Tau Oligomer; Tau Paired Helical Filament; Tau Paired Helical Filament Formation; Tau Polymerization; Tau Self-Aggregate; Tau-Tau Interaction; Tool; Transcriptome; Trend

The present lack of blood-based diagnosis requires AD patients to be subjected to either invasive spinal fluid (CSF) tapping, expensive MRI or PET imaging, or arduous psychological testing, all unsuitable and costly for our elderly. Strategically, we shall address this unmet need by generating systemic biomarkers detectable in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum/plasma, focusing on two classes of molecules, micro- RNAs and their target genes, which generally exhibit an inverse relationship because the former noncoding RNA functions by partially repressing the latter""s expression as a ""dimmer switch"", via binding either at the co- ding region of the message, thus degrading it, or at the 3""-untranslated region, to inhibit translation. Thus, key microRNAs and their targets can serve as disease biomarkers, in ""see-saw"" balance, applicable for new diagnostics and/or therapy. Our pilot study with a small cohort of 16 AD and 16 age-matched normal elderly controls (NEC) revealed: 1. Predominant down-regulation of gene expression at the message level in AD PBMC;and 2. Correlated up-regulation of microRNA (miR) expression in PBMC of the same individuals. In this proposal, we focus on a specific up-regulated microRNA, miR-34a, whose known targets are SIRT1, cdk4, cdk6, cyclin E2, bcl2, etc. SIRT1 is a member of the 7-member Silent Information Regulator protein family. Caloric restriction extends longevity through triggering expression of SIRT1, which can also be mimicked by resveratrol, a red wine polyphenol. SIRT1 reduction is linked to accumulation of Tau and A242 production, two hallmarks of AD etiopathogenesis. Thus, we suggest that in AD there is a systemic effect detectable in PBMC and serum/plasma;up-regulated miR-34a may induce down-regulation of SIRT1, with attendant pathophysiologic results. In this proposal, we plan to generate for this ""see-saw"" of changes miR-34a/SIRT1 Target Pair Ratio (TPR) indices, to quantify both disease presence as well as progress;the indices should also provide an unprecedented evaluation of drug efficacy. This Fast-track proposal of two phases is planned with our existing small cohort study as the roadmap for the larger cohort investigation: Phase I of six months with our existing small 16 AD and 16 NEC sample cohorts to: Aim 1. study possible down-regulation of miR-34a""s known targets;and Aim 2. develop a feasibility study of pilot miR-34a/SIRT1 TPR-indices;and Phase II of two years with larger cohorts of 200 AD and 200 NEC participants: Aim 1.Establish a Bio-Repository of PBMC-DNA, -RNA &-protein specimens, and serum/plasma samples for assays in Aims 2 &3;Aim 2. Generate PBMC-based miR34a/SIRT1 (&other targets) TPR indices;and Aim 3. Perform feasibility study to develop serum/plasma-based miR- 34a/SIRT1-TPR indices. Success of this project will allow us to generate PBMC- and serum-based miR-TPR indices as personalized diagnostics for AD victims, meeting an urgent need in health care, a huge gain for disease victims, their caregivers, and our society at large.

Public Health Relevance:
At present, the absence of any blood-based diagnosis for Alzheimer""s disease (AD) requires patients to enduring arduous neuropsychological testing, invasive cerebrospinal fluid tapping, and/or expensive MRI or PET imaging, with definitive diagnosis deferred until brain autopsy. Our preliminary findings, based on new science concerning a novel molecular species, microRNAs (miR) and their ""see-saw"" partial repression of the expression of their target gene(s), suggest that potential disease biomarkers for AD are detectable systemical- ly in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and/or serum/plasma, and may be quantified as miR-Target Pair Ra- tios (TPR). Our plan is to define AD-specific TPR indices, initially focusing on miR-34a and its target, SIRT1, whose reduction is known to be associated with increased Tau and A242, two hallmarks of AD etiopathogene- sis;our ultimate goal is a ""Tool-Box"" of TPR indices, miR-34a/SIRT1-TPR being the first such AD diagnostic, indicating not only disease presence, but also its progress (and even drug efficacy monitoring), a huge strate- gic gain for the victims of this costly disease, and our society at large!

Thesaurus Terms:
3'untranslated Regions;3'utr;3,4',5-Stilbenetriol;3,5,4'-Trihydroxystilbene;App Processing;Address;Age;Aged 65 And Over;Aging;Alzheimer;Alzheimer Type Dementia;Alzheimer Disease;Alzheimer Sclerosis;Alzheimer Syndrome;Alzheimer's;Alzheimer's Disease;Alzheimers Dementia;Alzheimers Disease;Amyloid Plaques;Apoptosis;Apoptosis Pathway;Assay;Autopsy;Autoregulation;Back;Binding;Binding (Molecular Function);Bioassay;Biogenesis;Biologic Assays;Biological Assay;Blood;Blood Plasma;Blood Reticuloendothelial System;Blood Serum;Boxing;Brain;Brain Nervous System;Brain Pathology;Ccne2 Protein;Cdk4;Cdk4 Gene;Cmm3;Caloric Restriction;Care Givers;Caregivers;Cell Communication And Signaling;Cell Cycle;Cell Division Cycle;Cell Signaling;Cells;Cerebrospinal Fluid;Code;Coding System;Cohort Studies;Concurrent Studies;Dna;Dna Damage Repair;Dna Repair;Deacetylase;Deoxyribonucleic Acid;Diagnosis;Diagnostic;Disease;Disorder;Dorsum;Down-Regulation;Down-Regulation (Physiology);Downregulation;Elderly;Encephalon;Equilibrium;Evaluation;Exhibits;Expression Profiling;Expression Signature;Family;Feasibility Studies;G1/S-Specific Cyclin E2;Gene Action Regulation;Gene Down-Regulation;Gene Expression;Gene Expression Profile;Gene Expression Regulation;Gene Regulation;Gene Regulation Process;Gene Targeting;Gene Transcription;Genes;Genetic Transcription;Genotoxic Stress;Goals;Healthcare;Homeostasis;Individual;Intracellular Communication And Signaling;Investigation;Investments;Knowledge;Lead;Length Of Life;Link;Longevity;Mgc14458;Mr Imaging;Mr Tomography;Mri;Mt-Bound Tau;Magnetic Resonance Imaging;Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan;Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance;Micro Rna;Micrornas;Modeling;Molecular;Molecular Fingerprinting;Molecular Interaction;Molecular Profiling;Monitor;Mononuclear;Nmr Imaging;Nmr Tomography;Neuritic Plaques;Neurofibrillary Tangles;Neuropsychologic Tests;Neuropsychological Tests;Non-Polyadenylated Rna;Noncoding Rna;Nontranslated Rna;Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging;Origin Of Life;Oxidation-Reduction;Oxidative Stress;Pbmc;Pet;Pet Scan;Pet Imaging;Petscan;Pett;Psk-J3;Participant;Patients;Pb Element;Peripheral;Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell;Phase;Physiologic;Physiological;Physiological Homeostasis;Pilot Projects;Plasma;Plasma Serum;Positron Emission Tomography Medical Imaging;Positron Emission Tomography Scan;Positron-Emission Tomography;Primary Senile Degenerative Dementia;Printing;Production;Programmed Cell Death;Protein Family;Proteins;Psychologic Tests;Psychological Tests;Rna;Rna Expression;Rna Gene Products;Rad.-Pet;Redox;Repression;Research;Research Specimen;Resveratrol;Reticuloendothelial System, Serum, Plasma;Ribonucleic Acid;Risk;Sampling;Science;Screening Procedure;Senile Plaques;Serum;Signal Transduction;Signal Transduction Systems;Signaling;Societies;Specimen;Stress;Synapses;Synaptic;Testing;Transcription;Transcription Repression;Transcriptional Repression;Translations;Unscheduled Dna Synthesis;Untranslated Rna;Up-Regulation;Up-Regulation (Physiology);Upregulation;Work;Zeugmatography;Abnormally Aggregated Tau Protein;Advanced Age;Amyloid Beta Plaque;Amyloid Precursor Protein Processing;Amyloid-B Plaque;Balance;Balance Function;Base;Biological Signal Transduction;Biomarker;Calorie Restricted;Calorie Restriction;Cerebral Spinal Fluid;Cohort;Cored Plaque;Cyclin E2;Dementia Of The Alzheimer Type;Diffuse Plaque;Disease/Disorder;Drug Efficacy;Elders;Feeding;Filamentous Tau Inclusion;Foot;Gene Expression Signature;Gene Product;Gene Repression;Geriatric;Health Care;Heavy Metal Pb;Heavy Metal Lead;Indexing;Injury Response;Interest;Late Life;Later Life;Life Span;Lifespan;Meetings;Member;Mirna;Microtubule Associated Protein Tau;Microtubule Associated Protein Tau Aggregation;Microtubule Associated Protein Tau Deposit;Microtubule Bound Tau;Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau;Microtubule-Bound Tau;Molecuar Profile;Molecular Signature;Necropsy;Neurofibrillary Degeneration;Neurofibrillary Lesion;Neurofibrillary Pathology;New Diagnostics;Next Generation Diagnostics;Novel;Novel Diagnostics;Older Adult;Older Person;Over 65 Elderly;Oxidation Reduction Reaction;Paired Helical Filament Of Tau;Pilot Study;Polyphenol;Postmortem;Primary Degenerative Dementia;Protein Expression;Public Health Relevance;Red Wine;Repository;Response To Injury;Screening;Screenings;Self-Aggregate Tau;Senescence;Senescent;Senile Dementia Of The Alzheimer Type;Senior Citizen;Spinal Fluid;Success;Synapse;Tangle;Tau;Tau Phf;Tau Proteins;Tau Accumulation;Tau Aggregate;Tau Aggregation;Tau Factor;Tau Fibrillization;Tau Filament;Tau Neurofibrillary Tangle;Tau Oligomer;Tau Paired Helical Filament;Tau Polymerization;Tau-Tau Interaction;Tool;Transcriptome;Trend