Blood Test Predicts Alzheimer's Onset

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a simple blood test that can predict the onset of Alzheimer s disease symptoms within three to four years. Published in Nature Medicine, the study, led by Suzanne E. Schindler and Kellen K. Petersen, utilizes levels of the p-tau217 protein in plasma to estimate when an individual will begin experiencing symptoms. This advance, part of a project by the United States — National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium, is expected to make clinical trials for preventive treatments more efficient and could eventually guide personalized care. The test is significantly cheaper and more accessible than current brain imaging or spinal fluid tests. Companies like C2N Diagnostics, co-founded by Washington University in St. Louis researchers David M. Holtzman and Randall J. Bateman, already offer similar diagnostic tests. Funding partners for the project included AbbVie, Biogen, House Research Development, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.