Major breakthrough in the identification of Alzheimer's onset

Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center, in Washington, have this week announced a significant development in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

In studying how mild cognitive impairment emerges, a team has been successful in validating a blood test that can predict whether Alzheimer’s will occur within three years, with a success rate of plus 90 per cent.

Predicting the onset of the disease is a major breakthrough for effective treatment, considering that the earlier a person is able to receive help the more positive the results.

As professor of neurology and executive vice president for health sciences Howard J Federoff explains, “Our novel blood test offers the potential to identify people at risk for progressive cognitive decline and can change how patients, their families and treating physicians plan for and manage the disorder.”

He continues, “The preclinical state of the disease offers a window of opportunity for timely disease-modifying intervention. Biomarkers such as ours that define this asymptomatic period are critical for successful development and application of these therapeutics.”

Tests have been successful in identifying 10 lipids (fats) that can be used to predict Alzheimer’s, revealing the breakdown of neural cell membranes in those who develop symptoms.

Professor Federoff continues: “The lipid panel was able to distinguish with 90 per cent accuracy these two distinct groups: cognitively normal participants who would progress to MCI or AD within two to three years, and those who would remain normal in the near future.

“We consider our results a major step toward the commercialization of a preclinical disease biomarker test that could be useful for large-scale screening to identify at-risk individuals. We’re designing a clinical trial where we’ll use this panel to identify people at high risk for Alzheimer’s to test a therapeutic agent that might delay or prevent the emergence of the disease.”