Proteomic Atlas of the Human Brain in Alzheimer’s Disease

Here we provide a proteomic resource comprising nine functionally distinct sections from three individuals clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, across a spectrum of disease progression. Using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, we identify a core brain proteome that exhibits only small variance in expression, accompanied by a group of proteins that are highly differentially expressed in individual sections and broader regions. AD affected tissue exhibited slightly elevated levels of tau protein with similar relative expression to factors associated with the AD pathology. Substantial differences were identified between previous proteomic studies of mature adult brains and our aged cohort. Our findings suggest considerable value in examining specifically the brain proteome of aged human populations, with the goal of understanding ways in which neurological changes occur past full maturity. This resource can serve as a guide, as well as a point of reference for how specific regions of the brain are affected by aging.