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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.10.18.759991

Olfactory neuroepithelium biomarker platform: a proof from Alzheimer's disease

Ishizuka, K.·Shang, G.·Malik, S.·Doty, C.·Dave, S.·Rowan, N.·Lema, Y.·Lane, A.·Sawa, A.
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Abstract

Unlike other diseases where target organs for biopsy are accessible, surrogate platforms are warranted for biomarkers of neuropsychiatric disorders due to the inaccessibility of the brain. We demonstrate a non-invasive platform combining a nasal soft-brush swab with single-cell Western blotting for neuron-specific protein analysis. Applied to Alzheimer's disease targeting phosphorylated tau, this demonstrated superior diagnostic capacity compared with blood-based approaches, indicating that the olfactory neuroepithelium is a sensitive biomarker platform.

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Ishizuka, K., Shang, G., Malik, S., Doty, C., Dave, S., Rowan, N., Lema, Y., Lane, A., Sawa, A.. 2026-10-20. Olfactory neuroepithelium biomarker platform: a proof from Alzheimer's disease. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.18.759991

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