Alzheimer’s risks can be detected 15 years in advance with breakthrough blood test: study

medicine

by alex mitchell

A groundbreaking study shows that a simple blood test can detect symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) up to 15 years in advance. According to a report in the Times of London.

Neuroscientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden briefly examined residues in a protein known as phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau 217), which is commonly associated with a disease known as phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau 217). I found a way to do it. result.

The testing procedure (called an assay), created by the company ALZpath, could provide a relatively less painful and cheaper alternative to a spinal tap to gain insight into a person’s risk of disease, according to research. was announced on Journal of the American Medical Association.

“ALZpath’s pTau217 test helps healthcare providers determine the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Andreas Geromin, ALZpath’s chief scientific officer.

Three independent clinical studies involving 786 patients showed that ALZpath achieved “high diagnostic accuracy” in identifying AD-inducing proteins in the brain, such as amyloid plaques.

The company announced that its latest breakthrough product will be available for clinical use and commercially by the end of January. CNN reported Prices range from $200 to $500 and similar at some point.

“This is a valuable discovery in blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and paves the way for clinical use of the ALZpath pTau 217 assay,” said researchers Kai Brennau and Henrik Zetterberg. . stated in the releaseadded that the “robust” assay is already in use in various laboratories around the world.

“What was impressive about these results was that blood tests were as accurate as advanced tests such as cerebrospinal fluid tests and brain scans in indicating Alzheimer’s disease pathology in the brain.” lead author Nicholas Ashton told CNN..

“These tests are now nearing prime time, and this study shows that.”

Last year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed a peptide (chain of amino acids) that interacts with and repairs the brain’s tau protein.

Another study also found that taking multivitamins may protect against dementia.