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
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

FUJIREBIO

Fujirebio is a global leader in the field of IVD testing with more than 50 years’ experience in the conception, devel... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




New Blood Test Improves Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 17 Feb 2025

In Ireland, more than 60,000 people are living with dementia, with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) accounting for approximately 70% of these cases. More...

Of those living with AD in Ireland, up to half have not received a formal diagnosis, underscoring the need for better diagnostic methods that are both accurate and scalable. To facilitate precise diagnosis, biomarkers are typically measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained via a diagnostic lumbar puncture (LP), a procedure that is invasive and carries associated risks and challenges. Now, a new blood test could revolutionize patient care, offering the potential for improved AD diagnosis, earlier intervention, and more targeted treatment options.

A collaborative study involving researchers from Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) is investigating the use of a new blood test, plasma p-tau217, to detect AD. The Lumipulse G plasma p-tau217 assay from Fujirebio (Tokyo, Japan) could potentially replace the current diagnostic method for over half of patients with early symptoms, thereby enabling more patients to be diagnosed accurately and efficiently. The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring, is one of the first in Europe to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of plasma p-tau217, one of the leading automated blood tests for AD, in patients with mild symptoms who are undergoing evaluation in a specialist memory service.

In this study, 148 patients provided both blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples during their LP procedure, allowing researchers to directly compare the new blood tests to established CSF biomarkers. Importantly, this was done using fully automated technology (Lumipulse), which is already in use in clinical diagnostic laboratories. The adoption of a fully automated system ensures consistent reliability over time in the laboratory, as well as greater consistency between different laboratories. The study revealed that plasma p-tau217 measurements using the automated system were over 90% as accurate as those obtained from LP. Integrating this blood test into clinical pathways could potentially eliminate the need for more than half of the diagnostic LPs currently conducted. This would have significant implications for the diagnosis and management of early AD. Based on their findings, the research team believes that this new blood test could replace over half of the 150-200 diagnostic LP procedures currently performed annually.

"This study brings us one step closer to using diagnostic blood tests, such as plasma p-tau217, to assist in the clinical-biological diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Dr. Adam Dyer, Specialist Registrar in Geriatric Medicine & Clinical Lecturer in Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin. “Importantly, this research assessed plasma p-tau217 using fully-automated technology already available in clinical laboratories and used samples from a "real-world" clinical cohort."


Gold Member
Troponin T QC
Troponin T Quality Control
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Calprotectin Test
CALiaGold
New
Gold Member
Latex Test
SLE-Latex Test
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.