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Technical Program
Dr. Thomas K. Karikari
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Biofluid Biomarker Laboratory
University of Pittsburgh
“Streamlined resource-efficient plasma amyloid-beta mass spectrometry assay has improved biomarker performance in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease”
Plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, alone or in ratio with p-tau217, show strong potential as Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. While immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) is the preferred method for plasma Aβ quantification, current assays are resource- and time-intensive. Here, we developed a streamlined IP-MS method using a cost-effective instrument that significantly improved the efficiency of an original assay by incorporating a single immunoprecipitation step, an optimized buffer system, and approximately 75% reductions in antibody and sample volume requirements. Technical validation revealed excellent dilution linearity (r²>0.99), high precision (<10% variation), enhanced sensitivity, improved Aβ recovery, and markedly increased signal-to-noise ratios. In a large of cognitively normal older adults (n=317), the plasma Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio achieved stronger concordance with Aβ-PET and superior accuracies to identify abnormal scans (AUC 0.81 vs. 0.65 for the original assay). Notably, accuracies remained high even with plasma volumes as low as 100 μL. The improved IP-MS method enables robust and simplified plasma Aβ assessment in Alzheimer’s disease, with implications for prognosis, diagnosis and intervention trials.
Attend In-Person
Meal choices: Meat Lasagna or Vegetable Lasagna
Meal payment will be made when submitting your online reservation.
$5 for students; $15 for all others.
6:00 pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Business Meeting
7:30 pm – Technical Program
Please note the new process for reserving your meeting spot.
Deadline is Sunday, January 25 at Midnight.
Attend Virtually
The monthly meeting Technical Program is accessible via the Zoom platform.
Pre-registration required. Link will be emailed.
6:45 pm – Business Meeting
7:30 pm – Technical Program
Please Note: No Parking Before 5:00 PM
There are new Duquesne University parking restrictions now in effect.
- Entry only AFTER 5:00 pm for all members, staff, students, and guests using the Forbes Avenue garage.
- Entry before 5:00 pm is limited to ONLY those involved with set-up in the Powers Center.
- Bring the QR parking ticket to the meeting for a paid QR ticket to scan when leaving the garage.
- The dinner registration form will ask you to indicate if you require a parking pass. Please note: passes are non-refundable and only valid for that meeting.
About the Program Speaker
Dr. Thomas Karikari, Ph.D., serves as the Director of the Biofluid Biomarker Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, he oversees the Mass Spectrometry Program and the Single Molecule Array Biomarker Program within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Karikari also leads the Fluid Biomarker Core of the recently renewed National Institute on Aging Alzheimer’s Program Project Grant.
Dr. Karikari is internationally recognized for his expertise in the discovery, method development, technical validation, and implementation of biofluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. His research program spans both fundamental and translational science, with a strong emphasis on clinical applications. He has contributed to several prestigious committees that provide recommendations on fluid biomarker discovery and clinical utilization.
The Karikari Laboratory is dedicated to investigating the biochemical and molecular underpinnings of neurodegenerative diseases affecting the human brain and biofluids. The laboratory employs advanced mass spectrometric and biochemical technologies to develop and validate clinical biomarkers. Notable achievements include the development of the first commercially available plasma p-tau181 assay, which is now widely used, along with immunoassay methods for plasma p-tau212, p-tau217, and p-tau231. Recently, the Karikari Laboratory introduced an innovative plasma brain-derived tau marker, specifically targeting tau protein originating from the central nervous system. The laboratory has also established a streamlined, resource-efficient immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry method for quantifying plasma amyloid beta peptides. These biomarkers have undergone rigorous validation across numerous research and clinical cohorts and are extensively utilized in therapeutic trials, diagnostic processes, prognostic assessments, and research studies.
Dr. Karikari brings extensive experience in establishing and managing clinical chemistry laboratories, developing and implementing standard operating procedures, and standardizing preanalytical protocols for the collection, measurement, and analysis of biospecimens, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. He has created preanalytical procedures designed to simplify blood collection and processing, making them more applicable for community-based studies and resource-limited settings. The Karikari Laboratory excels in managing large-scale projects involving sample handling, biomarker measurements, and the processing and interpretation of results from thousands of samples.