A team of researchers from the UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI) are evaluating whether a new blood test can successfully diagnose neurodegenerative diseases at a much earlier stage.
It is hoped that the test, used for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, could be available for widespread use in healthcare settings across the UK in the coming years.
An estimated 982,000 people in the UK are currently living with dementia, with this number predicted to rise to over 1.4 million by 2040. The disease slowly destroys patients’ memory and thinking skills and, eventually, their ability to carry out simple tasks.
Protein aggregation and associated inflammation are key features of neurodegenerative diseases and occur early in disease progression; however, current diagnostic tools are not sensitive enough to detect them.
Based at the University of Cambridge, Sir David Klenerman’s team has developed ultra-sensitive tests that are able to detect blood-based disease markers, including harmful proteins such as amyloid beta and tau that clump together into ‘aggregates’ in the brain and result in damage to brain cells, alongside signs of inflammation activation.
“We hope by developing a method to detect all the key protein aggregates in a blood sample that we will be able to develop a single test for the main neurodegenerative diseases that can be used for early detection and to classify patients for treatment,” said Klenerman, professor of biophysical chemistry at the University of Cambridge and group leader at the UKDRI.
The researchers are now developing and validating the new blood test, following funding and support from medical research charity LifeArc. As well as aiding in early diagnosis, the test would offer a less invasive option compared to existing spinal fluid tests and would be cheaper than current brain imaging scans.
Karen Skinner, chief portfolio officer at LifeArc, said: “This research has the potential to transform how we detect and diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.
“By supporting and investing in projects like this, we hope to speed up the process of turning scientific discoveries into real world solutions for patients facing devastating conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.”