Summary
Research published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association may indicate a significant step forwards in developing a blood test which could be able to predict the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease onset with 87% accuracy.
Research on more than 1,000 people, at various stages in the transition from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease, has identified a set of ten proteins in the blood.
This development raises the possibility of a test capable of predicting, reasonably accurately, which patients with mild cognitive impairment are likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease in the following year. Such a test to predict the development of Alzheimer’s Disease – and / or other forms of dementia – could reduce the high number of failures in drug trials, thereby facilitating medical research and ultimately the development of new treatments, as has been discussed earlier.
Reference
Gallagher, J. (2014). Alzheimer’s research in ‘major step’ towards blood test. London: BBC Health News, July 8th 2014.
This relates to:
Reference
Hye, A. Riddoch-Contreras, J. Baird, AL. [and] Lovestone, S. [et al] (2014). Plasma proteins predict conversion to dementia from prodromal disease. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. July 10th 2014. [Epub ahead of print].
The following NHS Choices Behind the Headlines critical appraisal places this research in context:
Reference
New Alzheimer’s test may help future clinical trials. London: NHS Choices Behind the Headlines, July 8th 2014.
An older, related, article of possible interest:
Reference
Fiandaca, MS. Mapstone, ME. [and] Cheema, AK. [et al] (2014). The critical need for defining preclinical biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, June 2014, Vol.10(3), Supplement, S196-212. (Click here to view the PubMed abstract).
Possibly also of interest:
Reference
Phipps, L. (2014). In the news: Blood test progress for Alzheimer’s. London: Alzheimer’s Research UK Blog, July 7th 2014.
July 2020 Update
The protein p-tau217 may be a promising biomarker:
Reference
Schraer, R. (2020). Alzheimer’s: ‘Promising’ blood test for early stage of disease. London: BBC Health News, July 29th 2020.
