New Blood Test Platform: A Step towards Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh have studied the validity and effectiveness of a new blood test platform, which could enhance doctors’ ability to understand the complex nature of Alzheimer’s disease and simplify its early diagnosis.

This new platform can measure more than 100 biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease simultaneously.

The lead author, Dr. Thomas Karikari, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, explained that “Alzheimer’s disease should not be viewed from a single perspective. Capturing the multiple facets of the disease through a set of clinically validated biomarkers enhances the chances of stopping it before cognitive symptoms appear.”

In this study, Karikari and his team analyzed blood samples from 113 elderly individuals with intact cognitive functions, living in an underserved area of southwestern Pennsylvania.

They used a new biomarker analysis platform called “NULISAseq CNS Disease 120 Panel,” which measures various Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, such as phosphorylated forms of the “tau” and “beta-amyloid” proteins, along with approximately 120 proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

The platform’s performance was validated by comparing its results with imaging measures of amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration over a two-year period.

The platform detected numerous biomarkers associated with increased amyloid burden, pathological brain changes, and impaired neural connectivity.

Karikari hopes that this platform will help track biomarker changes in asymptomatic individuals or those already receiving treatment, allowing for treatment decisions based on precise and predictive data.