Next-generation biomarker discovery in Alzheimer's disease using metabolomics - from animal to human studies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex disease driven mainly by neuronal loss due to accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid aggregates in the brain. The diagnosis of AD currently relies on clinical symptoms while the disease can only be confirmed at autopsy. The few available biomarkers allowing for diagnosis are typically detected many years after the onset of the disease. New diagnostic approaches, particularly in easily-accessible biofluids, are essential. By providing an exhaustive information of the phenotype, metabolomics is an ideal approach for identification of new biomarkers. This review investigates the current position of metabolomics in the field of AD research, focusing on animal and human studies, and discusses the improvements carried out over the past decade.