Neurodegenerative  Disease Research

Neurodegeneration is characterized by dysfunction and death of cells in the nervous system. This results in impaired motor function and progressive dementia. Neurodegenerative diseases include prion disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and various types of dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common. Intense research focus on Alzheimer's disease has identified 2 main pathways leading to characteristic protein deposits in the brain. These are pathologic breakdown of amyloid precursor protein leading to the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques, and hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule associated protein Tau, causing intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Several genes have confirmed links to Alzheimer's disease, and many genotyping and gene expression studies currently in progress aim to elucidate the causes, develop biomarkers for diagnosis, and identify potential drug targets.

Despite efforts to date, clear pathogenesis, effective treatments, reliable biomarkers and diagnostics, and a full genetic picture of neurodegenerative disease remain to be established. QIAGEN provides a comprehensive range of sample and assay technologies to allow the scientist to take full advantage of the latest genomic technologies to maximize the impact of Alzheimer's disease research. Spanning next-generation sequencing technologies that offer unprecedented levels of parallel analysis, gene expression and genotyping solutions, epigenetics and miRNA tools, and data interpretation, QIAGEN's offering enables exponential advances in Alzheimer's disease research.