Towards a Blood Test for Alzheimer's (broadcast Friday, October 19th, 2007)

A plaque formation, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health

Alzheimer's disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose in its earliest stages. Now, researchers say they may be on the way to developing a blood test for the neurological disease. The scientists tested stored blood samples taken from people suffering from Alzheimer's, lookng for changes in protein levels within the blood plasma. They found that monitoring changes to as few as 18 proteins was sufficient to identify an Alzheimer’s-specific pattern. After identifying the proteins to look for, they attempted to use their experimental test on samples of blood from patients who had already been diagnosed. In 90 percent of the cases, the findings from the blood test matched the actual clinical diagnosis. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine. Some of the researchers involved are working to commercialize the findings, moving towards an actual lab test that could be used in Alzheimer's diagnosis. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.