- June 17, 2026
Topic/Product:
Alzheimer's, CNS Disease Panel 120
Disease Area:
Alzheimer's Disease
Sample Type:
CSF, Nasal Fluid, Plasma
Abstract
The brain-nose interface is an anatomical junction where olfactory neurons from the olfactory bulb
traverse the cribriform plate into the nasal mucosa, providing minimally invasive access to the central
nervous system (CNS). We hypothesized that nasal fluid from this region could enable detection of
neurology-relevant proteins using targeted multiplex assays. Using nosecollect®, a targeted nasal
sampling device, nasal fluid proximal to brain-nose interface was collected from cognitively impaired
patients, alongside matched cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma. After nasal sample-specific dilution
optimization and intra-assay precision evaluation, all matrices were profiled with the Olink Target 96
Neurology and NUcleic acid Linked Immuno-Sandwich Assay CNS disease 120 (NULISAseq CNS Disease
120) panels. Nasal fluid showed technically repeatable detection (intra-assay coefficient of variation
<10% for more than 60% of proteins). Target detectability in nasal fluid (Olink 89/92; NULISA 121/131
proteins) was comparable to plasma and exceeded CSF. Numerous disease-relevant proteins were
observed in nasal fluid, including brain-derived tau species, phosphorylated tau, α-synuclein, axonal
and synaptic markers, and glial-microglial mediators. To our knowledge, this is the first neurologyfocused characterization of the nasal proteome from the vicinity of brain-nose interface using targeted
multiplex platforms and the first to profile matched nasal fluid, CSF, and plasma, supporting nasal fluid
from brain-nose interface as an additional source for biomarker development.
Authors & Affiliations
Mohammad Bashiria, Maria Babua, Gunter Weissa, Stefan Kotschotea, Richard Metzlera, Hilary
Wunderlicha, Agnese Petrerab, Elena De Domenicoc, Heidi Theisc, Katrin Lehmannd, Frederik Heinrichd,
Mir-Farzin Mashreghid, Marion San Nicolóa, Mareike Alberta
, Sabine Mertziga,*
a Noselab GmbH, Widenmayerstrasse 27, 80538, Munich, Germany
b Metabolomics and Proteomics Core, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for
Environmental Health, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
c PRECISE Platform for Genomics and Epigenomics at German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
(DZNE), Bonn, Germany
d Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Berlin.
