The Biomarker Laboratory at the University of Eastern Finland Brain Research Unit is launching diagnostics for a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, to be measured from a blood sample. The new biomarker is a phosphorylated form of the tau protein, pTau217, the levels of which increase in Alzheimer’s disease.
Current diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease require expensive and invasive methods, such as cerebrospinal fluid samples or brain imaging. Determining levels of pTau217 from a blood sample stands out as a faster and more cost-effective alternative, initially to be used alongside other existing methods. In the future, this blood test for Alzheimer’s disease will enable earlier detection of the disease, thus facilitating the planning of patient care.
The analysis is performed on a plasma sample using an immunological method. The blood test is not recommended for individuals under 50 years of age, nor for asymptomatic individuals. “An elevated level of pTau217 is an indication of Alzheimer’s disease-associated changes in the brain, but these changes do not always lead to illness. The blood test can, together with memory studies and other clinical findings, provide support for an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and it will be up to the attending physician to decide whether the test is needed,” says Research Director Sanna-Kaisa Herukka at the Biomarker Laboratory.
The UEF Biomarker Laboratory has been at the forefront of research and diagnostics of neurological disease biomarkers for more than two decades. The new diagnostic service is the result of years of research and collaboration with international research groups. Analytics related to Alzheimer’s disease have also been developed in collaboration with companies in the UEF Brain Research Unit 2.0 project, supported by the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF.
Further information on the pTau217 blood test and its use in Alzheimer’s diagnostics is available from the Biomarker Laboratory.
“We are committed to providing the best possible support and information to patients, their families and healthcare professionals,” Herukka notes.
For further information, please contact:
Research Director Sanna-Kaisa Herukka, sanna-kaisa.herukka@uef.fi
Biomarker Laboratory: alzheimermarkkeri@uef.fi, tel. +358 400 648 632