We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
ZeptoMetrix an Antylia scientific company

Download Mobile App




New Blood Test to Transform Detection and Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Aug 2024

In the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, there is a buildup of ‘amyloid plaques’, with abnormal levels of this naturally occurring protein clumping together, disrupting cell function. More...

Currently, amyloid plaques are detected through a lumbar puncture, an invasive procedure, while scans are limited in their availability. Blood tests offer a less invasive, more scalable, and cost-effective alternative. Now, a study has examined the effectiveness of a new blood test that could change the way Alzheimer’s Disease is identified.

In the study, researchers from Trinity College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland) investigated whether a blood test could provide a simpler and more accurate method than lumbar punctures. The blood test, known as plasma p-tau217, identifies amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s patients. The study utilized biobank samples to compare how effectively this blood test detected amyloid proteins compared to those found in cerebrospinal fluid. The findings, published in the Alzheimer's Research and Therapy journal, showed that the blood test's accuracy was over 90% comparable to that of lumbar punctures.

The study also assessed various threshold levels for the blood test and suggested that its use could potentially eliminate over half of the lumbar punctures currently performed. This reduction could reduce the invasiveness and duration of the diagnostic process while also lowering costs. Although lumbar punctures are generally safe and well-tolerated, they can cause side effects like headaches in some patients. Future research aims to replicate these blood test results in diagnostic labs, allowing patients to initially undergo a blood test, thereby bypassing the need for a diagnostic lumbar puncture in clear-cut cases.

“This study found that blood tests such as plasma p-tau217 demonstrate excellent performance to detect the changes that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Adam Dyer, a Geriatric Medicine Trainee at Tallaght University Hospital and Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin. “In the future, clinical use of these blood tests may enable us to avoid invasive tests such as lumbar punctures in over half of individuals who currently have these procedures performed”. This research is one of a handful in the world to assess this in ‘real-world’ clinical cohorts and the first Irish study to examine the performance of these blood tests.”

Related Links:
Trinity College Dublin


Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Gold Member
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Test
ULTRA-TSH
New
PBC Assay
Primary Biliary Cholangitis Assays
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The POC device rapidly predicts neonatal respiratory disease at birth in the NICU (Photo courtesy of SIME Diagnostics)

AI-Powered Lung Maturity Test Identifies Newborns at Higher Risk of Respiratory Distress

Each year, approximately 300,000 babies in the United States are born between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation, according to national health data. This group is at an elevated risk for respiratory distress,... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: A biomarker discovery pipeline has shown promise as a noninvasive method of diagnosing CRC (Photo courtesy of NCI Center for Cancer Research)

Machine Learning Tool Enables Noninvasive Diagnosis and Monitoring of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States when considering both genders. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for CRC diagnosis, but it is invasive,... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Scanning electron microscopy images showing 3D micro-printed Limacon-shaped whispering-gallery-mode microcavities with different amounts of deformation (Photo courtesy of A. Ping Zhang/PolyU)

Tiny Microlaser Sensors with Supercharged Biosensing Ability to Enable Early Disease Diagnosis

Optical whispering-gallery-mode microlaser sensors function by trapping light within tiny microcavities. When target molecules bind to the cavity, they induce subtle changes in the laser’s frequency, allowing... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.