Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD), are among the leading causes of lost years of healthy life and exert a great strain on public healthcare systems. Despite being first described more than a century ago, no effective cure exists for AD or PD. Although extensively characterised at the molecular level, traditional neurodegeneration research remains marred by narrow-sense approaches surrounding amyloid β (Aβ), tau, and α-synuclein (α-syn). A systems biology approach enables the integration of multi-omics data and informs discovery of biomarkers, drug targets, and treatment strategies. Here, we present a comprehensive timeline of high-throughput data collection, and associated biotechnological advancements and computational analysis related to AD and PD. We hereby propose that a philosophical change in the definitions of AD and PD is now needed.

神经退行性疾病 (NDD)，例如阿尔茨海默氏症 (AD) 和帕金森氏症 (PD)，是导致健康寿命减少数年的主要原因之一，并对公共医疗保健系统造成巨大压力。尽管在一个多世纪前首次被描述，但 AD 或 PD 尚无有效治愈方法。尽管在分子水平上进行了广泛的表征，但传统的神经变性研究仍然受到围绕淀粉样蛋白 β (Aβ)、tau 和 α-突触核蛋白 (α-syn) 的狭义方法的损害。系统生物学方法可以整合多组学数据，并为生物标志物、药物靶点和治疗策略的发现提供信息。在这里，我们展示了高通量数据收集的综合时间表，以及与 AD 和 PD 相关的相关生物技术进步和计算分析。