A new blood test, developed by researchers from Lund University and Stanford University, could offer a game-changing approach to diagnosing and tracking Alzheimer’s disease. The study is published in Nature Medicine, the research reveals that the test can identify the disease and monitor its progression by analyzing protein fragments in the blood.
This breakthrough could replace expensive, invasive diagnostic procedures with a more accessible and effective option for earlier intervention.
A Critical Need for Better Testing
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease traditionally involves costly brain imaging or spinal fluid analysis, both of which are difficult to access for many patients. This presents a barrier to early diagnosis, a crucial step for effective treatments like donanemab and lecanemab, which are most effective in the disease’s early stages.
Prof. Oskar Hansson, co-author of the study from Lund University, stressed the urgent need for improved diagnostic tools, saying, “There is an urgent need for accurate and cost-effective Alzheimer diagnostics considering that many countries have recently approved the clinical use of amyloid-targeted therapies.”
A reliable blood test could give doctors the ability to catch the disease earlier, ensuring that patients receive treatment before it progresses too far.
The Science Behind the Test
The study identified a promising biomarker for Alzheimer’s in the form of a tau protein fragment called eMTBR-tau243. With 902 participants involved, the research showed that Alzheimer’s patients had significantly higher levels of this protein than those with other cognitive impairments.
“Scientifically, these results are very promising and important as this marker performed better than existing tests and the new marker could help track performance of new drugs in trials,” said Prof. Tara Spires-Jones from the University of Edinburgh.
However, experts caution that the test is not yet a reliable diagnostic tool for widespread use. Spires-Jones further explained,
“This is also not a simple test, rather requiring complex scientific methods only available in specialist laboratories, so this will not be routinely available without further validation and development of cheaper, easier detection.”
Predicting Cognitive Decline
A second study, also published in Nature Medicine, investigated another promising Alzheimer’s biomarker—the ratio of YWHAG and NPTX2 proteins in brain fluid samples. Conducted with 3,397 participants across Sweden, Finland, and the U.S., the research found that this protein ratio could predict cognitive decline more accurately than traditional biomarkers.
Prof. Tony Wyss-Coray, co-author of the study from Stanford University, noted the significance of these results, saying,
“The results could help identify the best medications for individuals and help design better clinical trials by selecting appropriate participants.” These findings could pave the way for more personalized treatments and enhanced clinical trials for Alzheimer’s drugs by improving diagnostic accuracy and predicting disease progression.
Challenges and Future Prospects
While the advances in Alzheimer’s blood tests have garnered attention, obstacles remain before they can be used routinely. For example, the tau-based test requires specialized laboratory equipment, limiting its accessibility. In addition, more research is needed to validate the reliability and affordability of these methods.
Dr. Sheona Scales from Alzheimer’s Research UK pointed out an important benefit of blood-based biomarkers: “At present, it is not always possible to make a connection between the level of tangles observed with imaging and level of cognitive impairment, but having blood tests that do this will help to monitor diseases like Alzheimer’s in the brain as they progress, and help inform prognosis in future.”
Conclusion
The studies released recently represent a significant milestone in the advancement of Alzheimer’s diagnostics. A blood test capable of detecting Alzheimer’s could vastly improve early detection, enabling timely intervention before the disease causes irreversible damage.
While these tests are still far from being ready for broad clinical use, experts remain hopeful about their potential. Blood-based diagnostics could soon become an essential tool in Alzheimer’s care, providing a faster, less invasive, and more cost-effective method to diagnose and track the disease, with further research and development.