Dr. William Hu, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers from Washington University at St. Louis, the University of Pennsylvania, and Bristol Myers Squibb have released the results of preliminary study aimed at developing a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. The disease is currently diagnosed through techniques like spinal taps or PET imaging, which can be uncomfortable and expensive for patients. A blood test could not only reduce costs associated with diagnosis, but potentially offer earlier detection.
These results, based on a cohort of 600 individuals both with and without an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis or mild cognitive impairment, revealed four potential biomarkers of the disease that could be identified in blood samples: apolipoprotein E, C-reactive protein, B-type natriuretic peptide, and pancreatic polypeptide. For more information on the study results, please visit: http://news.emory.edu/stories/2012/08/alzheimers_blood_test/campus.html.