Findings Could Lead to Early Diagnosis, Better Treatment Studies
An ultrasensitive test has been developed that detects a corrupted protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. This advance could lead to early diagnosis of these conditions and open new research into how they originate, according to National Institutes of Health scientists and their colleagues. In their new study, published in Acta Neuropathologica, the researchers explain how they adapted a diagnostic test originally developed for prion diseases to detect abnormal clusters of tau protein. Like other proteins involved in neurological diseases, tau protein clusters can seed themselves and contribute substantially to the disease processes of Alzheimer’s and CTE. The study involved brain samples from 16 Alzheimer’s patients, two boxers with CTE, and numerous control cases involving other brain diseases.
The test is extremely sensitive. For example, if a pinhead-sized sample of brain tissue from an Alzheimer’s patient were pulverized and diluted into a thousand gallons of liquid, the test still could detect tau seeds in a pinhead-sized volume of that dilution. The test is called AD RT-QuIC: Alzheimer’s disease real-time quaking induced conversion.
Scientists at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases developed RT-QuIC about a decade ago to detect Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD) and other prion diseases. Since then, they have repeatedly improved and adapted it to detect other neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies. The test, which already is used in clinical settings to diagnose sporadic CJD, is noted for its rapid and accurate results.
Their latest findings could be a major advance for Alzheimer’s diagnostics because the study points to tau seeds as potential biological “markers” for Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. Scientists are testing therapies to slow the accumulation of tau clusters and the progression of neurological disease. In these efforts, they need more sensitive and accurate tests to better select clinical trial participants and assess whether new therapeutic strategies work as hoped.
Alzheimer’s affects about 5.7 million people in the United States alone at an estimated annual cost of $232 billion, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Learn more: NIH-Developed Test Detects Protein Associated with Alzheimer’s and CTE
The Latest on: Alzheimer’s
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Alzheimer’s ” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Alzheimer’s
- Researchers ID Unique Mutation Linked to Alzheimer's Disease Riskon May 17, 2024 at 11:17 am
Griswold: Dr. Cornejo-Olivas had identified a Peruvian family in which there were four Alzheimer's disease cases as well as two individuals with cognitive impairment. So that's six siblings, all with ...
- Black adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease live in more polluted areas, study findson May 17, 2024 at 11:02 am
A study by Duke and Columbia Universities finds older, non-white adults are more likely to live in areas with higher air pollution and near toxic disposal sites, among or environmental injustices, ...
- Research Offers New Ideas for Treating Alzheimer’son May 17, 2024 at 8:33 am
It remains a matter of scientific debate whether the beta amyloid buildup is the cause of Alzheimer’s or a feature of it. It’s time to look at “out of the clump” fresh approaches.
- The vicious cycle of protein clumping in Alzheimer's disease and normal agingon May 17, 2024 at 5:15 am
To date, approaches to treatments for Alzheimer's disease have not addressed the contribution of protein insolubility as a general phenomenon, instead focusing on one or two insoluble proteins.
- Lauren Miller Rogen and husband Seth Rogen are prioritizing their own brain health after her mom's early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis. Here's how.on May 17, 2024 at 5:00 am
For filmmaker Lauren Miller Rogen, a good night’s rest is nonnegotiable — even if her husband, actor Seth Rogen, has some thoughts about all the work it takes to get there. “Seth always jokes that I ...
- Country singer pays tribute to mom with Alzheimer'son May 16, 2024 at 5:11 pm
Country singer, Jay Allen, wrote a song dedicated to his mom who had Alzheimer's. Now he is heading to Minneapolis to perform at the Alzheimer's Purple Gala on Saturday. FOX 9's Tim Blotz has the ...
- Woman claims Alzheimer’s symptoms were reversed after five yearson May 16, 2024 at 1:20 pm
In “The Last Alzheimer’s Patient,” CNN chief medical correspondent follows Alzheimer’s patient Cici Zerbe who says her symptoms have been reversed after participating in Dr. Dean Ornish’s clinical ...
- Mitochondrial Boost Reverses Protein Clumping in Aging and Alzheimer’son May 16, 2024 at 12:35 pm
“Since hundreds of mitochondrial proteins become insoluble both during aging and after expressing amyloid beta, we thought if we can boost the mitochondrial protein quality using a compound, then ...
- Breakthrough Alzheimer's Treatment Featured In New Boomers Today Podcast Episodeon May 16, 2024 at 10:57 am
Petaluma, California - Boomers Today, a podcast hosted by Frank Samson, CEO and Founder of Senior Care Authority, has released a groundbreaking ...
- Dr. Gupta discovers the results of an Alzheimer’s risk teston May 16, 2024 at 9:41 am
Facing concerns about his own family history of Alzheimer’s, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta visits preventive neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson to have his own risk for dementia ...
via Bing News