Simple Blood Test for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease

HKUST

HKUST Scientists Develop Simple Blood Test for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease

An international research team led by HKUST has developed a simple but robust blood test from Chinese patient data for early detection and screening of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for the first time, with an accuracy level of over 96%.

Currently, doctors mainly rely on cognitive tests to diagnose a person with AD. Besides clinical assessment, brain imaging and lumbar puncture are the two most commonly used medical procedures to detect changes in the brain caused by AD. However, these methods are expensive, invasive, and frequently unavailable in many countries.

Now, a team led by Prof. Nancy IP, Vice-President for Research and Development at HKUST, has identified 19 out of the 429 plasma proteins associated with AD to form a biomarker panel representative of an “AD signature” in the blood. Based on this panel, the team has developed a scoring system that distinguishes AD patients from healthy people with more than 96% accuracy. This system can also differentiate among the early, intermediate, and late stages of AD, and can be used to monitor the progression of the disease over time. These exciting findings have led to the development of a high-performance, blood-based test for AD, and may also pave the way to novel therapeutic treatments for the disease.

“With the advancement of ultrasensitive blood-based protein detection technology, we have developed a simple, noninvasive, and accurate diagnostic solution for AD, which will greatly facilitate population-scale screening and staging of the disease,” said Prof. Nancy Ip, Morningside Professor of Life Science and the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at HKUST.

The work was conducted in collaboration with researchers at University College London and clinicians in local hospitals including the Prince of Wales Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The discovery was made using the proximity extension assay (PEA) - a cutting-edge ultrasensitive and high-throughput protein measurement technology, to examine the levels of over 1,000 proteins in the plasma of AD patients in Hong Kong.

As the most comprehensive study of blood proteins in AD patients to date, the work has recently been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, and has also been featured and actively discussed on different scholarly exchange platforms on AD research such as Alzforum.

AD, which affects over 50 million people worldwide, involves the dysfunction and loss of brain cells. Its symptoms include progressive memory loss as well as impaired movement, reasoning, and judgment. While patients often only seek medical attention and are diagnosed when they have memory problems, AD affects the brain at least 10-20 years before symptoms appear.

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Alzheimer's & Dementia

Large-scale plasma proteomic profiling identifies a high-performance biomarker panel for Alzheimer's disease screening and staging (Reference Reading) 

港澳傳媒報導

科大研發簡單血液測試 及早檢測阿爾茲海默症  

由香港科技大學(科大)領導的一支國際研究團隊研,成功利用中國人群患者數據,研發出首個簡單而可靠的血液檢測方法,能及早篩查並識別阿爾茲海默症(AD)患者,準確率逾 96%。

目前醫生對於AD患者的診斷主要依靠對患者認知能力的測試,至於就AD病情的病理評估,最常使用的醫療程序是以腦部成像和腰椎刺穿術來偵測由AD引起的大腦病變。但有關方法費用昂貴、具侵入性,亦未有於世界各地獲廣泛應用。

現在,由科大副校長(研究及發展)葉玉如教授領導的研究團隊,從 429 種與 AD相關的血漿蛋白中,識別出19 種具有AD患病特徵的血漿蛋白生物標誌物組群。團隊根據這組標誌物,設計了一套評分系統,可將 AD 患者自健康人群中區分出來,其準確率超過 96%。該系統還能辨別AD早、中及晚期三個階段,可用作監測患者的病情發展。

身兼科大晨興生命科學教授及分子神經科學國家重點實驗室主任的葉教授表示:「基於先進的超靈敏血液蛋白檢測技術,我們成功開發了這套簡單、無創而精準的 AD 診斷方法,將為AD的大規模篩查及分期診斷提供重大助力。」

這項研究由科大與倫敦大學學院研究團隊,以及來自包括威爾士親王醫院和伊利沙伯醫院等本地醫院的臨床醫生合作進行。團隊利用尖端的超靈敏高通量鄰近延伸分析技術 (PEA),從香港 AD 患者所收集的血漿樣本當中,檢測了逾 1,000 種蛋白質的水平變化情況,從而取得是次研究成果。

這項令人振奮的發現令高效的AD血液檢測技術得以誕生,並為開創新型AD治療方法打下基礎。作為迄今為止就 AD 患者血液蛋白方面最全面的研究,有關結果近日被國際權威科學期刊Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association刊載,並在不同AD 研究和學術交流平台,包括Alzforum,獲得熱烈的關注和討論。

據統計,全球罹患AD的人口數目已超過 5,000萬。患者會喪失腦細胞,並岀現一系列腦功能及認知功能障礙,包括喪失記憶,以及出現行動、推理和判斷能力受損等症狀。然而,儘管AD 早在症狀出現前至少10-20 年已對患者大腦產生顯著影響,患者卻往往只在記憶出現問題時,才會尋求醫生診治。


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国内传媒报导

香港科大研发简单血液测试可及早检测阿尔兹海默症  

由香港科技大学(科大)领导的一支国际研究团队,成功利用中国人群患者数据,研发出首个简单而可靠的血液检测方法,能及早筛查并识别阿尔兹海默症(AD)患者,准确率逾 96%。

目前医生对于AD患者的诊断主要依靠对患者认知能力的测试,至于就AD病情的病理评估,最常使用的医疗程序是以脑部成像和腰椎刺穿术来侦测由AD引起的大脑病变。但有关方法费用昂贵、具侵入性,亦未有于世界各地获广泛应用。

现在,由科大副校长(研究及发展)叶玉如教授领导的研究团队,从 429 种与 AD相关的血浆蛋白中,识别出19 种具有AD患病特征的血浆蛋白生物标志物组群。团队根据这组标志物,设计了一套评分系统,可将 AD 患者自健康人群中区分出来,其准确率超过 96%。该系统还能辨别AD早、中及晚期三个阶段,可用作监测患者的病情发展。

身兼科大晨兴生命科学教授及分子神经科学国家重点实验室主任的叶教授表示:「基于先进的超灵敏血液蛋白检测技术,我们成功开发了这套简单、无创而精准的 AD 诊断方法,将为AD的大规模筛查及分期诊断提供重大助力。」

这项研究由科大与伦敦大学学院研究团队,以及来自包括威尔士亲王医院和伊利沙伯医院等本地医院的临床医生合作进行。团队利用尖端的超灵敏高通量邻近延伸分析技术 (PEA),从香港 AD 患者所收集的血浆样本当中,检测了逾 1,000 种蛋白质的水平变化情况,从而取得是次研究成果。

这项令人振奋的发现令高效的AD血液检测技术得以诞生,并为开创新型AD治疗方法打下基础。作为迄今为止就 AD 患者血液蛋白方面最全面的研究,有关结果近日被国际权威科学期刊Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association刊载,并在不同AD 研究和学术交流平台,包括Alzforum,获得热烈的关注和讨论。

据统计,全球罹患AD的人口数目已超过 5,000万。患者会丧失脑细胞,并岀现一系列脑功能及认知功能障碍,包括丧失记忆,以及出现行动、推理和判断能力受损等症状。然而,尽管AD 早在症状出现前至少10-20 年已对患者大脑产生显著影响,患者却往往只在记忆出现问题时,才会寻求医生诊治。


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Korean Media

치매 조기 진단 혈액검사법 개발  

혈액 속의 치매 관련 특이 단백질들을 근거로 알츠하이머 치매를 조기 진단할 수 있는 혈액 검사법이 개발됐다.

홍콩과기대학(HKUST: Hong Kong University of Science & Technology) 연구개발 담당 부학장 낸시 입 교수 연구팀이 개발한 이 혈액 검사법은 치매 진단 정확도가 96% 이상이라고 메디컬 익스프레스(MedicalXpress)가 28일 전했다.

연구팀은 민감도와 효율이 매우 높은 혈장 단백질 탐지 기술인 '근접 연장 검증'(PEA: proximity extension assay) 장치를 이용, 치매 환자들의 혈장(plasma)에 들어있는 치매 관련 단백질 429가지 중 19가지 대표 단백질을 찾아내고 이를 바탕으로 치매 생물 표지 패널(biomarker panel)을 만들어 냈다.

연구팀은 이를 이용, 치매 환자와 아닌 사람을 구분할 수 있는 평점 시스템(scoring system)을 개발했다,

이 평점 시스템으로 치매 환자를 96% 이상의 정확도로 구분해 낼 수 있었다고 연구팀은 밝혔다.

이 평점 시스템은 또 치매 초기, 중기, 말기 환자를 구분할 수 있으며 시간 경과에 따른 치매의 진행을 모니터하는 데도 이용할 수 있다고 연구팀은 설명했다.

현재 치매 진단은 주로 인지기능 테스트에 의존하고 있다. 여기에 고통이 수반되는 요추천자(lumbar puncture)에 의한 뇌척수액 검사와 치매 관련 뇌 신경세포의 비정상 단백질을 측정하는 양전자 방출 단층촬영(PET)이 이용되고 있다.

그러나 이 검사법들은 비용이 많이 들고 침습적(invasive)이라서 일상적으로 사용하기가 쉽지 않다.

이 연구 결과는 미국 알츠하이머병 협회(Alzheimer's Association) 학술지 '알츠하이머병과 치매'(Alzheimer's and Dementia) 최신호에 발표됐다.


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Russian Media

Учёные разработали простой анализ крови для раннего выявления болезни Альцгеймера   

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Portuguese Media

Novo exame de sangue pode detectar o Alzheimer precocemente, diz pesquisa

Olhar digital 

Spainish Media

Científicos desarrollan un sencillo análisis de sangre para la detección precoz del Alzheimer

Infosalus 

Italian Media

same del sangue rileva precocemente l'Alzheimer con 'accuratezza del 96%'

Associazione Alzheimer