These blood biomarkers which form the basis of this test, have never before been “offered” to patients in a clinical setting. This full-scale trial, carried out within the framework of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC),
a pioneering global initiative to detect and treat Alzheimer’s disease
and dementia, therefore marks the beginning of a new era in the fight against neurodegeneration.
One of the lead authors, Dr. Elahi, associate professor of neurology and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, adds: “Knowledge gained from blood biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias offer a unique opportunity for early detection of disease and, therefore, intervention. They will enable the implementation of existing treatments as well as the discovery of new therapies.”
Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease has also entered a new era with the introduction of new therapies that target the underlying biology of the disease, but these therapies must be introduced very early in the course of the disease to be effective. effective. Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning of amyloid (the buildup of proteins in the brain that is a hallmark of the disease) and analysis of proteins in cerebrospinal fluid currently constitute the gold standard for the accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative pathology of the brain. However, these 2 techniques are invasive, expensive and not very available, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions.
The idea is therefore to detect proteins, induced by pathological processes in the brain, which also infiltrate into the blood circulation and to
achieve early detection, with a simple blood test.
The team will recruit 900 patients over the next 9 months as part of this project to test these blood biomarkers and “to move them from the world of research to full-scale clinical practice”.
“Many people believe that beta-amyloid protein is the culprit associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology; however, we now know that pathological forms of tau are probably the most toxic substrates of disease.”
So what biomarkers?
Here, New York scientists are using a biomarker that captures a toxic form of the tau protein and also predicts brain deposits of beta-amyloid. THE p-year 217 is thus the main biomarker but 2 other proteins (NfL et GFAP) which indicate whether the brain is degenerating, are also sought.
Additional proteins that are not specific to any disease subtype neurodegenerative. Their levels increase across the spectrum of degenerative brain disorders. By quantifying these 3 proteins in the blood, researchers think
“be able to determine the risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well as all-cause brain degeneration.”
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