Gamingdeputy reported on February 19 that according to the official website of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the international research cooperation led by the school has made significant progress.Marks an important milestone in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease.
The research team, led by Professor Yu-ru Yip, President of HKUST, Morningside Professor of Life Sciences and Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, successfully developed a cutting-edge blood test.Can detect Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment early with over 96% and 87% accuracy respectively. This blood test is suitable for use in diverse populations, providing a practical solution for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease worldwide.
According to reports, Alzheimer's disease is affecting more than 50 million people worldwide. A key feature of the disease is the accumulation of harmful amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the brain, causing brain cell dysfunction and loss, leading to progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and difficulties with daily activities and communication.
The recently approved Alzheimer's disease drug Lecanemab brings new hope for the treatment of patients with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer's disease who have abnormally elevated levels of Aβ in the brain. Therefore, early diagnosis of the disease will greatly help these patients to receive effective treatment.
Currently, Aβ levels can only be measured through expensive brain imaging or invasive acquisition methods. At the same time, the current diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is mainly based on clinical observation of symptoms, and clinical symptoms only appear 10 to 20 years after the onset of disease. At this time, the disease has progressed to the middle and late stages, and effective treatment is difficult to obtain.
Therefore, the development of a simple blood test that can accurately identify patients with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer's disease, while also detecting elevated Aβ levels in the brain, will bring new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. to have a revolutionary impact.
Professor Ip Yu-ru and his team at HKUST recently developed a blood test that can detect Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment early with high accuracy. In the study, which included Chinese and European populations, the international team of researchers confirmed that the blood test is highly accurate at differentiating between people with Alzheimer's disease, people with mild cognitive impairment and people with normal cognition, and that it can detect Brain Aβ protein pathology. These findings also highlight that the test can be applied to people in different regions, providing an important tool for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease around the world.
Additionally, existing blood tests for Alzheimer's disease primarily indicate brain pathology by analyzing a single biomarker.The blood test developed by HKUST can simultaneously detect changes in the levels of 21 blood protein biomarkers related to Alzheimer's disease., thereby revealing changes in multiple key physiological indicators, more accurately detecting Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, and closely monitoring the development of the disease. This multidimensional analysis will help develop personalized treatment options, known as precision medicine, which will revolutionize the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease.
Professor Ye said: “Our Alzheimer's blood test is simple, efficient and less invasive, heralding a new era of diagnostics. By expanding the scope of the study to include a diverse population, we are taking a critical step toward promoting widespread use of this diagnostic tool. “Professor Ye continued to point out: “Our test can also be used to screen suitable patients for entry into clinical trials and drug treatment, as well as for close monitoring of disease progression and drug response. In the near future, it can also accelerate the development of personalized treatments by revealing the molecular mechanisms that cause Alzheimer's disease that differ between different populations and individuals. “
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers at University College London (London, UK) and the Barcelona βeta Brain Research Center (Barcelona, Spain), and clinicians at Prince of Wales Hospital (Hong Kong) and Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Spain).
The research results have recently been published in the internationally authoritative scientific journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. The technology has been licensed to a start-up company at HKUST— Cognitact Limitedto provide relevant blood testing services to the public.
Gamingdeputy attaches paper link:
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.13676