New research identifies blood biomarker for predicting dementia before symptoms develop
Researchers point to groundbreaking potential to screen for those at high
risk of disease and for clinical trials of new treatments

Date:
April 27, 2022
Source:
National University of Ireland Galway
Summary:
New research has identified a blood biomarker that could help
identify people with the earliest signs of dementia, even before
the onset of symptoms.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
New research from NUI Galway and Boston University has identified a
blood biomarker that could help identify people with the earliest signs
of dementia, even before the onset of symptoms.


==========================================================================
The study was published today (Tuesday 26 April) in the Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease.

The researchers measured blood levels of P-tau181, a marker of neurodegeneration, in 52 cognitively healthy adults, from the US-based Framingham Heart Study, who later went on to have specialised brain
PET scans.

The blood samples were taken from people who had no cognitive symptoms
and who had normal cognitive testing at the time of blood testing.

The analysis found that elevated levels of P-tau181 in the blood were associated with greater accumulation of ss-amyloid, an abnormal protein
in Alzheimer's disease, on specialised brain scans. These scans were
completed on average seven years after the blood test.

Further analysis showed the biomarker P-tau181 outperformed two other biomarkers in predicting signs of ss-amyloid on brain scans.

Emer McGrath, Associate Professor at the College of Medicine Nursing
and Health Sciences at NUI Galway and Consultant Neurologist at Saolta University Health Care Group was lead author of the study.

"The results of this study are very promising -- P-tau181 has the
potential to help us identify individuals at high risk of dementia at a
very early stage of the disease, before they develop memory difficulties
or changes in behaviour," Professor McGrath said.

The research team said the identification of a biomarker also points to
the potential for a population screening programme.

Professor McGrath said: "This study was carried out among people living
in the community, reflecting those attending GP practices. A blood test measuring P- tau181 levels could potentially be used as a population-level screening tool for predicting risk of dementia in individuals at mid to late-life, or even earlier.

"This research also has important potential implications in the context
of clinical trials. Blood levels of P-tau181 could be used to identify
suitable participants for further research, including in clinical trials
of new therapies for dementia. We could use this biomarker to identify
those at a high risk of developing dementia but still at a very early
stage in the disease, when there is still an opportunity to prevent
the disease from progressing." The research was funded in Ireland by
a Health Research Board Clinician Scientist Award and in the US by an Alzheimer's Association Clinician Scientist Fellowship, the National
Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute on Aging, and
the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
National_University_of_Ireland_Galway. Note: Content may be edited for
style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Emer R. McGrath, Alexa S. Beiser, Adrienne O'Donnell, Qiong Yang,
Saptaparni Ghosh, Mitzi M. Gonzales, Jayandra J. Himali, Claudia L.

Satizabal, Keith A. Johnson, Russell P. Tracy, Sudha Seshadri. Blood
Phosphorylated Tau 181 as a Biomarker for Amyloid Burden on Brain
PET in Cognitively Healthy Adults. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease,
2022; 1 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-215639 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220427100506.htm

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