Researchers are developing blood test table to detect early Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCAR) in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s state, develop a group of biomarkers to detect Alzheimer’s disease early and to distinguish them from other types of dementia using blood tests. The research program is supported by FAPESP and is based on the analysis of 500 volunteers with and without the disease.

One of the most recent findings of the research team published in the magazine Neurobiology of agingIt was the identification of a rare genetic change associated with Alzheimer’s disease that is also associated with high levels of Adam10 protein. The study examined 85 people with cognitive impairment and genetic condition, which all had high levels of protein in their blood.

Protein is known to scientists for its role in breakdown or collapse, the precursor of beta-amyloid protein. This prevents the formation of plates in the brain, which is a feature of Alzheimer’s disease.

Adam10 is an old candidate biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease that has in recent years gained projection due to progress in ultrasonic equipment that allows these molecules to be detected at very low blood plasma concentrations. “

Márcia Regina Cominetti, from the biology of the Laben-Ufscar and one of the project coordinators

The study found that the genetic status involving changes in the E4 alteration APOE The gene could lead to an increase in inactive Adam10 molecules in the blood. Consequently, the amount of active molecules will be reduced, reducing their ability to inhibit the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.

Compound disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the main cause of dementia worldwide, affecting over 35.6 million people. Not only is there no cure, but the diagnosis remains an important challenge for medicine. The earlier it is recognized, the greater the chance of delaying the onset of symptoms. This is due to the fact that, so far, the reversal of the neurodegenerative process was only possible at the early stage of the disease, known as mild neurogenic impairment. This stage is characterized by cognitive decline without significantly affecting one’s functionality.

In this context, UFSCAR researchers develop ADAM10 Blood Predictive Tests that can identify people with mild cognitive impairment at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our studies show that not only in the case of this rare situation, but also in other causes of Alzheimer’s Adam10’s disease acts on a path before the formation of beta-amloid plaques.

COMINETTI points out that, at present, the detection of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain and the tau’s hyperphosphated protein (another feature of Alzheimer’s disease) is extremely accurate for diagnosis. “However, differentiation of dementia on the other is still an important challenge. In this sense, a combination of biomarkers could, for example, make it possible to make the wide sorting of the population through blood tests,” he says.

In collaboration with the Departments of Chemistry and Gerontology in UFSCAR, researchers have developed a sensor that uses ADAM10 levels in the blood to distinguish healthy older adults and those with Alzheimer’s disease. The test is currently validated through studies with 500 volunteers.

“We are moving towards finding predictors of illness for the disease. Many people are wondering why they are looking for a diagnosis if there is no treatment for Alzheimer’s yet, the fact is that we are working in the long run.

Another major aspect of the project, cominetti notes, is the construction of a genetically different database that also examines the risk factors for Alzheimer’s, such as level of education, income and quality of life. “We have completed the genetic sequence of the 500 volunteers, creating a database without equal to the world, as well as reflecting Brazil’s genetic volatility, the database is the result of a population that has distinct characteristics from the world north, where most research is carried out.