Towards a Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Disease

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Researchers are working on the assessment of patterns of autoantibodies in the blood as a way to determine progression towards Alzheimer's disease and other age-related conditions. The levels of these autoantibodies appear to reflect the presence of specific forms of damage to tissues and systems in the body and brain, and that in turn can be linked to the early-stage pathology of a number of age-related diseases.

Researchers are nearing development of a blood test that can accurately detect the presence of Alzheimer's disease, which would give physicians an opportunity to intervene at the earliest, most treatable stage. The work focuses on utilizing autoantibodies as blood-based biomarkers to accurately detect the presence of myriad diseases and pinpoint the stage to which a disease has progressed.
By detecting Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms emerge, the researchers hope those with disease-related autoantibody biomarkers will be encouraged to make beneficial lifestyle changes that may help to slow development of the disease. While the cause of Alzheimer's remains elusive, it is clear that maintaining a healthy blood-brain barrier is a critical preventative measure. Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke and being overweight jeopardize vascular health. As blood vessels in the brain weaken or become brittle with age, they begin to leak, which allows plasma components including brain-reactive autoantibodies into the brain. There, the autoantibodies can bind to neurons and accelerate the accumulation of beta amyloid deposits, a hallmark of Alzheimer's pathology.

The blood test developed by the researchers has also shown promise in detecting other diseases, including Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and breast cancer. All humans possess thousands of autoantibodies in their blood, and these autoantibodies specifically bind to blood-borne cellular debris generated by organs and tissues all over the body. An individual's autoantibody profile is strongly influenced by age, gender and the presence of specific diseases or injuries. Diseases cause characteristic changes in autoantibody profiles that, when detected, can serve as biomarkers that reveal the presence of the disease.

Link: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/aoa-rci100715.php