Lysosomal ion homeostasis as a novel biomarker for Alzheimer's disease

Protein clearance and neuronal homeostasis critically depend upon normal functioning of autophagy and endo‐lysosomal pathways (Nixon, 2020; Usenovic & Krainc, 2012). Multiple studies show that lysosomal dysfunction is associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), since impaired degradation of aggregate‐prone proteins can lead to pathological accumulations of Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles (Baranello et al., 2015; Rajendran & Annaert, 2012). To leverage this paradigm shift in our understanding of AD pathology, we have invented a pioneering, ion‐imaging technology using DNA nanodevices to non‐invasively map lysosomes for early AD detection.