Key take away: It is possible to identify stage-specific as well as over-time molecular signatures across the continuum of Alzheimer’s disease in blood

Introduction: The discovery of biomarkers through minimally invasive methods is essential for tracking of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression. The object of this study is to investigate ADrelated transcriptomic signatures using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) from healthy controls (HC), patients with mild cognitive impairment with no AD markers (MCI_non-AD), MCI patients with AD markers (MCI-AD), and AD patients.

Methods: Total RNA extraction from PBMCs of 8 HC, 25 MCI_non-AD, 25 MCI-AD and 25 AD patients • RNA-seq on the Illumina NextSeq 550 platform and data analysis in collaboration with the SING Research Group (Spain) using the Compi RNA-Seq pipeline • RT-qPCR of 14 differentially expressed (DE) selected mRNAs in PBMCs of 21 HC, 25 MCI_non-AD, 22 MCI-AD and 24 AD patients

Cocnlusions: Transcriptomic changes in PBMCs might mirror core AD pathological processes and may serve as potential biomarkers for monitoring disease stage and progression.