A routine blood test developed by researchers in Arizona could offer a faster and cheaper way to identify Alzheimer’s disease than traditional brain scans, according to new findings from Banner Health.
The research focuses on phosphorylated tau 217, or p-tau217, a protein associated with the brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s. Scientists examined a more specific form of the marker, known as brain-derived p-tau217, to assess how closely it reflected the disease’s underlying pathology.
Researchers from Banner’s Fluid Biomarker Programme compared blood-test results with confirmed brain findings from 288 donors whose brains were examined after death. The study was carried out with Banner’s Brain and Body Donation Programme.
Banner Health said the brain-derived version produced a substantially stronger signal in people with advanced Alzheimer’s pathology than the standard p-tau217 test. It also tracked the amount of amyloid plaque and tau tangles in the brain more closely and gave a better indication of future cognitive decline.
At present, confirming Alzheimer’s-related changes can involve a positron emission tomography, or PET, scan, or a test of spinal fluid. Both approaches can be costly, difficult to access or invasive, limiting their use, particularly for people who live far from specialist medical centres.
A blood test could allow more patients to be assessed through routine healthcare appointments and may help doctors identify those who need further specialist testing. Earlier confirmation could also support access to treatments and clinical trials at a stage when they are more likely to be beneficial.
The researchers used a fully automated laboratory platform developed in partnership with Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, which Banner said could support wider clinical use if the findings are confirmed in further studies.
However, the test is not being presented as a replacement for all existing diagnostic assessments. Banner researchers said additional clinical validation is needed before the approach can be used routinely in patient care.
