Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Blood Test Trial Could Unlock New Dementia Treatments

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 26 Feb 2025

Dementia typically affects those over the age of 65, but frontotemporal dementia, a rarer form of the disease that impacts behavior, language, and movement, often begins earlier, though it can also affect older individuals. More...

While approximately 20,000 people in the UK live with frontotemporal dementia, its relative rarity means that individuals with the condition are frequently misdiagnosed. A significant challenge for dementia drug trials is that they often involve patients who have already been diagnosed, meaning they are exhibiting symptoms. However, by the time symptoms appear, it may be too late for the treatments to have a meaningful impact. To address this, a new study across the UK is introducing a simple blood test to detect early signs of dementia decades before symptoms emerge. This will help researchers identify individuals early, allowing them to trial drugs aimed at slowing or halting disease progression.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK) are piloting an innovative approach in the city to monitor brain changes in individuals with dementia, providing a more affordable and accessible alternative to the expensive and time-consuming brain scans, which are not always available across the country. The initial studies by the team revealed that molecular changes associated with brain inflammation and dementia can be detected in the blood. These changes can occur years, even decades, before the physical symptoms of dementia become noticeable and are typically only observed through brain scans. The new trial will focus on frontotemporal dementia, but it is also designed to help accelerate the development of treatments for other forms of dementia. The Open Network for Frontotemporal dementia Inflammation Research (ON-FIRE) study aims to recruit participants and raise awareness across various communities in the UK, including remote areas that are often underrepresented in clinical trials.

This study will expand into a nationwide project involving over 20 research and healthcare centers across the UK, helping to identify individuals who could benefit most from disease-modifying treatments. Previous research has demonstrated that higher levels of brain inflammation are linked to faster clinical decline in those with frontotemporal dementia, much like in Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting the potential for immunotherapy as a treatment option. Large-scale studies like ON-FIRE will enable researchers to better understand the processes involved in dementia, potentially allowing existing treatments that target these mechanisms to be repurposed. Since these drugs already have established safety profiles, clinical trials for them can be faster and more cost-effective than trials for entirely new medications.

“It’s a very exciting program because we’re using blood tests to help unlock treatments to slow down the progression of dementia and eventually stop it,” said Dr. Maura Malpetti, senior research associate in Cambridge’s Department of Clinical Neurosciences, and Race Against Dementia Fellow. “It’s also much easier for the patient than a brain scan. We’re focusing on changes to the brain which can manifest 10-20 years before symptoms, with the hope that in the future we can treat them early enough to stop the disease before symptoms occur.”

Related Links:
University of Cambridge


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Assay
LIAISON Anti-TPO
New
Candida Glabrata Test
ELIchrom Glabrata
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








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

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: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.