Blood test breakthrough in 2022 could boost Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diagnosis

CompilationTom Lee

While biomedicine has made progress in cancer and other diseases over the past few decades, neuroscience has proven to be an elusive puzzle
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However, with the advent of new tests for Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, the status quo may soon change
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We can expect some exciting developments in 2022, including new methods for checking the buildup of certain proteins in the brain, as well as broader and more convenient screening methods for blood
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Oxford Parkinson's screening has an identification rate of 89%

This month, researchers at the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre demonstrated the rationale for a potential new disease test.
A sample of cerebrospinal fluid is collected from the lower spine via a lumbar puncture.
The researchers used a method called real-time shock-induced conversion.
Mix with a sample of specially labeled alpha-synuclein particles and observe and analyze protein responses, including whether characteristic protein clumps begin to grow
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The test, based on previous alpha-synuclein studies, has been shown to correctly and reproducibly identify 89% of Parkinson's patients, while also ruling out 96% of non-Parkinsonian patients
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However, since no link was found between diagnosis and symptom severity, further research is needed to link the test to measures of Parkinson's disease progression, although the test has been shown to provide a window into the molecular mechanisms of the brain
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Notably, alpha-synuclein is at the heart of Parkinson's research, such as ACI mmune Biotech, which is also targeting the protein as a tracer for PET imaging as well as for antibody treatments and vaccines
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A drop of blood screening for Alzheimer's disease

C2N Diagnostics, a company developing a blood test for Alzheimer's disease, began rolling out a new test in late 2020
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The test, which can find patients with early signs of memory loss, relies on mass spectrometry to measure how well amyloid beta peptide and different versions of apolipoprotein E, both of which are involved in Alzheimer's disease, float in the blood.
Common risk factors
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Although the test itself cannot diagnose Alzheimer's disease, this non-invasive diagnostic method can be used for broader clinical evaluation
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C2N says the Precivity AD test can help predict the state of amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases
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More recent data suggest that the test is roughly as accurate as a PET scan
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In addition, with the FDA approval of the amyloid-targeted Aduhelm therapy this year, there may be high demand for test kits that objectively measure biomarkers of the disease in the future
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Measuring certain types of tau in blood samples may be a better indicator of disease progression than amyloid beta, says Quanterix, another test development company whose technology has been used in Biogen and Eli Lilly's clinical trials
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The researchers found that the Simoa blood test, which searches patients' blood for the presence of a tau protein called pTau-181, largely matched the results of spinal fluid diagnoses and PET scans, and was also able to connect these people to patients with the disease.
Patients with a rare neurodegenerative disorder called frontotemporal lobar degeneration are distinguished
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Although the test is currently for research use only, Quanterix's blood test received breakthrough designation from the FDA in October, and the company will continue to develop its potential as an aid in the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, including for those over the age of 50.
Tested in patients showing early signs of cognitive decline
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Reference source: 2022 forecast: Blood test breakthroughs set to move the needle in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's research