The Neurochemistry Laboratory identifies and validates body fluid biomarkers for diagnosis and follow-up of neurodegenerative diseases.
Long-term collaboration with the Department of Neurology of Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) has resulted in the translation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) into clinical practice and a rapid, short turnaround time due to fully automated immunoassays for the quantification of these biomarkers. Standardization of pre-analytical and analytical procedures has been acheived through joint involvement in research projects and quality control programs over the 10 years.
Given the urgent need for less invasive biomarkers, the ultrasensitive immunoassay platform Single Molecule Array - SiMoA - is used to quantify brain-derived proteins in the blood. Neurodegenerative blood markers allow the screening of a wider population at an early disease stage and the assessment of disease progression and the efficacy of the therapeutic regimens. The laboratory is currently evaluating the potential of blood-based markers for risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The Neurochemistry Laboratory is in the framework of the Portuguese Epidemiologic Surveillance Program for Human Prion Diseases (National Reference Laboratory for CSF analysis) and is currently the main national laboratory for dementia CSF studies.
