New blood test developed for early Alzheimer's disease detection

Researchers are developing Alzheimer's blood test for early diagnosis
In Alzheimer's an early diagnosis is particularly important, since a cure is not possible today, but only a delay in the course of the disease can be achieved. Scientists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), the University and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Göttingen have now developed a reliable, easy-to-use diagnostic option in the form of a blood test that they believe "potentially also enables early detection. "

A major problem with Alzheimer's diagnosis, according to the researchers, "is that there is already massive irreversible damage to the brain at the onset of clinical symptoms." The medical diagnosis is often far too late for this reason. "If we want to have a drug in the future that can significantly slow down the progression of the disease, we urgently need blood tests that can detect Alzheimer's disease already in pre -eminent phases," emphasizes Professor Dr. med. Klaus Gerwert, Head of the Department of Biophysics of the RUB. Here, the researchers are now obviously an important step in the development of such a blood test succeeded.

Using a newly developed Alzheimer's blood test, the diagnosis could already be made 15 years before the onset of the disease. (Image: Barabas Attila / fotolia.com)

Alzheimer's diagnosis is usually too late
In view of the fact that Alzheimer's disease is often diagnosed too late, the researchers of the RUB, together with the scientists of the University of Göttingen and the DZNE, have searched for possibilities for an early diagnosis. They developed an Alzheimer's blood test based on an immunochemical process in the form of an infrared sensor, the RUB notes. The highly specific antibodies on its surface "fish biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease from the blood or nerve water that can be taken in the lower part of the back," explain the researchers. The infrared sensor measures "whether the biomarkers are already pathologically altered, which can already be the case more than 15 years before the onset of clinical symptoms." Thus, the test was potentially also suitable for the early detection of Alzheimer's.

Importance for future treatment options
The method of the newly developed Alzheimer's blood test was presented in the internationally renowned journal "Biophotonics" and the researchers published the clinical study results in the journal "Analytical Chemistry". They emphasize the importance of such a test procedure for the possible uses of future medicines. Only with appropriate early diagnosis can the use of such drugs either stop the impending dementia or at least prolong the period until it occurs, said Professor Dr. med. med. Jens Wiltfang, Director of the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University Medical Center Göttingen and Coordinator of the Clinical Research of the DZNE-Göttingen. (Fp)