Plasma placental growth factor as a susceptibility biomarker for longitudinal cognitive change

Product:

CNS Disease Panel 120

Topic:

CNS

Disease Area:

Cerebrovascular

Sample Type:

Plasma

Topic/Product:

CNS Disease Panel 120

Disease Area:

Cerebrovascular

Sample Type:

Plasma

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Current biomarkers used to assess cerebrovascular pathology largely reflect end-stage disease, and more sensitive biomarkers are needed. We examined the role of baseline placental growth factor (PlGF) as a susceptibility biomarker for the progression of white matter injury and longitudinal cognitive decline.

METHODS

A total of 272 functionally intact older adults completed baseline blood draws, with plasma analyzed for PlGF (Meso Scale Discovery), and longitudinal neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing. A subset of 110 participants (n = 110) had banked plasma assayed on a different biomarker platform (NULISAseq) to evaluate replicability.

RESULTS

Higher baseline PlGF was associated with steeper declines in memory and processing speed. Elevated baseline PlGF also associated with greater baseline white matter hyperintensities and lower global fractional anisotropy (FA), but not white matter or FA trajectories.

DISCUSSION

Elevated baseline plasma PlGF associated with faster declines in cognition even among functionally intact older adults across two biomarker platforms. Our findings highlight PlGF as a potential susceptibility/risk biomarker of vascular-related cognitive decline.

Highlights

Higher plasma placental growth factor (PlGF) concentrations relate to greater baseline white matter injury.
Elevated baseline plasma PlGF associates with steeper cognitive decline over time.
PlGF may represent an upstream biomarker of endothelial-related cognitive decline.

Authors & Affiliations

Anna M. VandeBunte¹, Emily W. Paolillo¹, Jason D. Hinman², Rowan Saloner¹, Molly Olzinski¹, Shubir Dutt¹, Claire J. Cadwallader¹, Valentina E. Diaz¹, Savannah Hallgarth¹, Julio C. Rojas¹, Pauline Maillard³, Kaitlin B. Casaletto¹, and Joel H. Kramer¹

¹ Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
² David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
³ Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

Steve Williams, MD, PhD

CSO

Dr. Willams serves as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer. He was previously Chief Medical Officer at Standard Biotools and at SomaLogic where he pioneered the discipline for discovery and validation of predictive, diagnostic and prognostic models using machine-learning applied to large-plex proteomics. 20 such tests were used for drug characterization, safety and efficacy when incorporated in clinical drug trials at Pharma/Biotech and 17 different multivariate tests were validated and translated into regulated healthcare uses. Prior to SomaLogic, Dr. Williams was at Pfizer in the UK and the USA as a clinical triallist in Translational Medicine, and subsequently as VP, Global Clinical Technology. He sat on the National Advisory Council for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the Executive Committee for the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium, and worked with FDA and PhRMA on developing evidentiary standards for biomarker qualification. Dr. William’s medical training was in London, at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, followed by a PhD in medicine/physiology at the same institution and training in Radiology at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Steve is co-inventor on 26 proteomics patents and author/coauthor on multiple foundational proteomics manuscripts.

Justin McAnear

CFO

Mr. McAnear serves as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. He brings over 25 years of operational and financial leadership experience across various sectors and was instrumental in taking 10x Genomics public in 2019, serving as its CFO for over five years. Mr. McAnear served for over 3 years as Tesla’s VP of Worldwide Finance and Operations, supporting landmark initiatives such as the Model X and Model 3 launches and Solar City acquisition. He also held various roles at Apple and J&J earlier in his career and served as a naval officer and aviator for over 9 years.