Blood Test May Aid in Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
A new blood test may soon be used to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.[0] Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London have found that components in the blood can predict the risk of the condition.[1] The findings, published in the journal Brain, could offer an opportunity to further understand the changes the brain goes through at the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s.[1]
The research team collected blood samples over several years from 56 individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a condition where someone will begin to experience a worsening of their memory or cognitive ability.[2] Out of the 56 participants, 36 were eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.[3]
The researchers found that the blood samples collected from the participants who eventually developed Alzheimer’s experienced a decrease in cell growth and division and an increase in cell death.[4] Until now, it was only possible to assess neurogenesis in the late stages of Alzheimer’s after a post-mortem examination. Yet, this study could make it possible to monitor the progression of the disease with a non-invasive blood test, which would measure several biomarkers.[5]
Professor Sandrine Thuret, the study’s lead author from King’s IoPPN, said: “Previous studies have shown that blood from young mice can have a rejuvenating effect on the cognition of older mice by improving hippocampal neurogenesis. This gave us the idea of modeling the process of neurogenesis in a dish using human brain cells and human blood.”[4]
Dr Aleksandra Maruszak, one of the study’s joint first authors from King’s IoPPN, explained that “In our study, we treated brain cells with blood taken from people with MCI, exploring how those cells changed in response to blood as Alzheimer’s disease progressed.”[4]
Dr. Hyunah Lee, the study’s joint first author, said, “It is now essential to validate these findings in a bigger and more diverse group of people. We are excited about the potential applications of the blood-based test we used. For example, it can help stratify individuals with memory problems for a clinical trial of disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer’s.[6]
0. “New Test Could Detect Alzheimer’s Years Before Diagnosis” Greek Reporter, 27 Jan. 2023, https://greekreporter.com/2023/01/27/new-test-detect-alzheimer-years-before-diagnosis/
1. “New test could detect Alzheimer’s disease 3.5 years before diagnosis – study” NewsChain, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.newschainonline.com/news/new-test-could-detect-alzheimers-disease-35-years-before-diagnosis-study-316959
2. “New test could ‘predict’ Alzheimer’s disease nearly four years before official diagnosis” Express, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1727044/alzheimers-test-before-diagnosis
3. “New study explores test that can detect Alzheimer’s years before diagnosis” Mental Daily, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.mentaldaily.com/article/2023/01/new-study-explores-test-that-can-detect-alzheimers-years-before-diagnosis
4. “Can a simple blood test help detect Alzheimer’s three years early?” The Jerusalem Post, 28 Jan. 2023, https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-729878
5. “Researchers have hope that a new blood test could detect Alzheimer’s earlier” Yahoo! Voices, 27 Jan. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/now/researchers-hope-blood-test-could-194408024.html
6. “New blood test might detect Alzheimer’s 3.5 years before clinical diagnosis: Study” News9 LIVE, 28 Jan. 2023, https://www.news9live.com/health/health-conditions/new-blood-test-might-detect-alzheimers-3-5-years-before-clinical-diagnosis-study-au2180-2039143