Blood test to detect Alzheimer's in early stages
POSTED January 11, 2011 - 11:05 | POSTED BY Sujata Chandra
Last edited by Silky Chandvani on January 11, 2011 - 11:30
Approximately 5 million Americans are affected by Alzheimer's, according to the American government and there is still no cure for this deadly disease. At this point of time, even if it is detected early, it can’t be helped.
US researchers have found a way to harness the immune system to detect Alzheimer’s. They believe this approach can lead to the discovery of a blood test for the detection of the disease within months.
Details of the study
A study of the technology proved that it spotted Alzheimer’s in six people’s blood samples who had the disease, wrote Thomas Kodadek of the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida.
In a telephonic interview, Kodadek said that the approach might work in case of other diseases like cancer.
The test searches for antibodies that help the human body to attack foreign invaders. Kodadek said that most diseases lead to changes in the cells that make the body perceive the cells as foreign invaders.
He adds that the body produces antibodies as a response to innumerable diseases and they intend to develop blood tests to search for such antibodies.
The procedure
Kodadek’s team used 'peptoids,' molecules made in the laboratory, as antigen surrogates to search for antibodies specific to Alzheimer’s. Three of them reacted to the blood samples of the Alzheimer’s patients, but not with the blood of healthy people.
He also said that he has tested samples from people with mild cognitive impairment, which is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease and the test has proved worthwhile in this regard. Meanwhile he has given the license of the technology to OPKO Health Inc, based in Miami.
This institute will soon develop diagnostic kits which he thinks will be readily available in six to seven months. The immediate utility of that is to help pharmaceutical companies stratify patients for clinical trials.
The team attempted to find out whether the test can differentiate between different neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson's and lupus.
"We've even looked at a couple of other forms of dementia. These really do appear to be quite specific to Alzheimer's," Kodadek said.
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