Researchers are trying to design a blood test to detect the presence of a key protein in the development of the disease.
In France, 900,000 people have Alzheimer’s, according to 2019 data from Inserm. Despite this large number of cases, there is no no specific medical examination and fast, which allows detect disease at an early stage. Anyway for now. A study published on December 27 in the journal Brain is on the trail ofa blood test.
A faster, cheaper and more convenient examination
The researchers were interested in a biomarker, an element revealing the brain lesions characteristic of the disease: a particular form of tau protein. So they generated an antibody oriented once morest this element. “We applied this antibody to develop an ultrasensitive blood test for brain-derived Tau and validated it in five independent cohorts”, explain the authors in the study. In total, the exam was assessed on 600 patients at different stages of the disease.
Result: for the authors, this blood test is as reliable as lumbar puncture used in screening for disease in some patients. It might allow earlier diagnosis of the disease, “possibly years before the appearance first symptoms“note the authors. “A blood test is cheaper, safer and easier to administerand it may improve clinical confidence in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and the selection of participants for clinical trials and disease surveillance”summarized Professor Thomas Karikari of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
The team of scientists now wants to test the exam on a larger cohort of patients to assess its effectiveness on a large scale. “The recent development of blood tests sensitive to the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease has the potential to significantly change the way this disease can be managed in the near future”concluded Pr Alexis Moscoso, co-author of the study.
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