Scientists have developed a blood test that enables reliable diagnosis for the early detection of Alzheimer's and dementia using atomic force microscopy (ARCM). The researchers recently published the first results of their successful pilot study in the journal Science Advances. The new method accordingly enables a deeper look into the molecular universe, which provides information about theDevelopment of neurological diseasesdelivers.
Signs in the blood for early detection of Alzheimer's
The study authors first wanted to understand the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's in order to enable new approaches to diagnosis and therapy. A further step was to decipher the precise role of beta-amyloid peptides and tau proteins in connection with the neurodegenerative disease. They therefore set out to not only detect the mere presence of the suspicious proteins, but also to determine their variable shape and quantities. Current methods allow the total amount of both proteins in body fluids to be determined. However, these techniques do not allow visualization of differences in the shape and state of protein assemblies. The researchers therefore worked on technologies that enable nanometer-scale observations in the blood and yet do not destroy the structure and morphology of the proteins. They examined blood samples from patients and healthy volunteers. After collecting thousands of red blood cells, the team eagerly waited to compare the results.
In fact, the researchers were able to identify a pattern that corresponded to the patients' stage of disease. People with Alzheimer's had large amounts of protein fibers made from beta-amyloid peptides and tau proteins. The proteins were able to assemble into fibers several hundred nanometers long. However, the research team only counted a few fibers in healthy people or those with early brain diseases. This proves the feasibility of blood analysis using RKM technology. If scientists develop a reliable blood test based on this method, people with suspected Alzheimer's would be spared the unpleasant puncture of the spinal canal. This could also make it possible to diagnose the disease more reliably. However, there is still a long way to go before a simple blood test is available to hospitals. The authors' next stepthis studyis to confirm the data by studying a larger number of subjects at different stages of the disease using RCM and chemical analysis.
