Australian research volunteers have helped science take another step towards a widely available blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. Until now, successful blood test trials have had to be done on specialised research devices. However, volunteers taking part in the new trial have had their blood tested on existing widely used clinical pathology equipment.
The research took place at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, more commonly known as ‘The Florey’.
An estimated 411,100 Australians were living with dementia in 2023, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. That number is expected to explode over the next three decades. Current projections indicate the 2023 figure will have more than doubled by 2058.
Earlier diagnosis will enable medical professionals to determine a better treatment path for those diagnosed with the disease.
Previous research has shown that Plasma pTau217 blood tests can accurately detect Alzheimer’s disease. Such tests, however, are not yet available in a clinical setting.
What is already available in a clinical setting is a platform known as the Lumipulse-G®. This platform is already in widespread clinical use worldwide, but has not yet been approved for pTau217 tests.
Testing a blood test
The Florey researchers trialled the blood test on 388 volunteers,
publishing their results on the Lancet’s eBioMedicine platform.They set about evaluating the Alzheimer’s blood test on the Lumipulse-G® platform, and came away with very encouraging results. These indicated not only whether Alzheimer’s disease was present, but also the stage of the disease’s progress.
The study’s senior author, Professor Christopher Rowe, said: “We compared patients’ blood test results with a PET scan and found that plasma pTau217 not only confirms whether somebody has Alzheimer’s disease, but whether they are at intermediate or advanced stage versus earlier stages.”
Determining the disease’s progression provides a significant advantage in that it will allow specialists to determine the best treatment. “With a new generation of drugs emerging to treat Alzheimer’s disease, detecting a person’s stage of disease is going to be important,” said co-first author Dr Azadeh Feizpour, senior research fellow at the Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health.
Next steps
The findings mean that patients are one step closer to a widely available, accurate earlier-stage, low-cost diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s at a time when treatments for early Alzheimer’s disease are emerging.
Fujirebio, a multinational Japanese biotechnology company, expects it to be the first commercially available blood-based in-vitro diagnostic for Alzheimer’s disease assessment in the US. When that will occur is still to be determined. However, the fact that the Lumipulse-G® platform is already widely used for other aspects of cognitive impairment could help expedite its approval for use as an Alzheimer’s diagnostic test.
In most cases, Australian approval for a new treatment coincides with, or comes soon after, approval by US authorities.
Has someone close to you been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s? What treatments have they been offered? Let us know via the comments section below.
Also read: Alzheimer’s drugs: are they really game changers?
Disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
