An international group of scientists has developed a new blood test that can detect Alzheimer’s disease, The Guardian reported on Wednesday. Bart De Strooper, Alzheimer’s researcher affiliated with the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology and KU Leuven, did not participate in the study himself, but is enthusiastic about the discovery. “This is a nice step forward.”
About 20 years ago, Alzheimer’s disease could not be diagnosed in patients’ lifetimes. Only after their death could a diagnosis be made by means of a brain examination. Ten years ago, PET brain scans were the first to show accumulated proteins in the brain, which indicated the disease. Alzheimer’s could also be detected through a lumbar puncture, an epidural. However, those methods, the scans and the punctures, are often cumbersome and expensive.
Scientists have therefore been conducting research into blood tests that can detect Alzheimer’s for much longer. Last year, for the first time, they succeeded in developing a blood test that can detect the presence of two proteins, tau and amyloid. It is these two proteins that accumulate in Alzheimer’s, causing certain brain functions, such as memory, to deteriorate.
This new test makes it possible to measure the amount and shape of the tau protein. It can also determine the degree of brain damage, and allows to distinguish between patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and those suffering from another form of dementia.
“The puzzle is starting to be put together more and more, the research is gaining momentum,” says De Strooper. “A few months ago there was also news about the drug lecanemab, which slows down the disease. These blood tests could ensure that a diagnosis can be made faster. That is very important to be able to start treatment quickly.”
The tests could also be used effectively in the foreseeable future, says De Strooper. “Studies of blood tests are still ongoing at the moment. I am aiming for one to two years before the test can be recognised.”
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