A major international research project is working toward a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s diagnosis by developing a simple finger-prick blood test. The trial focuses on detecting three key proteins in the blood associated with Alzheimer’s disease, comparing the test to the current ‘gold standard’ brain scans. This project, involving 1,000 volunteers worldwide, aims to make Alzheimer’s diagnosis quicker and more accessible than current methods like MRI scans or lumbar punctures, which can be invasive and costly.
The finger-prick test would use a plasma separation card to accelerate Alzheimer’s diagnosis by analyzing blood and digital biomarkers. If successful, it could be a game-changer in the fight against Alzheimer’s, providing a cost-effective and minimally invasive alternative for earlier intervention. Early diagnosis is key to offering treatment options that slow the progression of the disease.
The trial is part of the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) Bio-Hermes-002 study, supported by the not-for-profit medical research organization LifeArc. The study has already enrolled 883 participants out of the 1,000 needed, with volunteers from 25 sites across the UK, USA, and Canada. The participants include people with no symptoms, those with mild cognitive impairment, and those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Over 360 participants have already completed the test.
Dr. Giovanna Lalli, Director of Strategy and Operations at LifeArc, emphasized the importance of developing blood-based biomarkers to identify Alzheimer’s at an early stage. “Over the last five years, there has been substantial progress in identifying blood-based biomarkers to identify people at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease before their symptoms present,” Lalli said. She also stressed that affordable, scalable tests are essential in the battle against Alzheimer’s.
John Dwyer, President of GAP, stated that the introduction of a simple blood test could revolutionize the diagnosis process for Alzheimer’s. “This test has the potential to change the way we diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. Prof. Henrik Zetterberg, Lead of the Biomarker Factory at the UK Dementia Research Institute, added that the test would be compared against the current gold standard diagnostic methods to validate its effectiveness.
The trial, which is expected to conclude in 2028, could significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s affects around six in 10 people with dementia, and its early signs include memory problems, reasoning difficulties, and language issues. With nearly one million people living with dementia in the UK and approximately seven million in the US, this new diagnostic tool could offer hope for millions of patients worldwide.
