Page 16 - HOH

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 16 July 2019
Scientists close in on blood test for Alzheimer's

to commercialize it, Naka-
mura said.
Another experimental test
looks at neurofilament light,
a protein that's a marker
of nerve damage. Abdul
Hye of King's College Lon-
don gave results of a study
comparing blood levels
of it in 2,300 people with
various neurological condi-
tions — Alzheimer's, other
dementias, Parkinson's, de-
pression, multiple sclerosis,
Lou Gehrig's disease — plus
healthy folks for compari-
son.
Levels were significantly
higher in eight conditions,
and only 2% of healthy folks
were above a threshold
they set for raising concern.
The test doesn't reveal
which disorder someone
has, but it may help rule
one out when symptoms
may be psychological or
due to other problems.
Later at the conference, Dr.
Randall Bateman of Wash-
ington University School
of Medicine in St. Louis will
In this July 9, 2019 photo, Dr. Jori Fleisher, neurologist, examines Thomas Doyle, 66, at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Associated Press give new results on a blood
test he helped develop
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE id tests are too expensive than any of us would have Alzheimer's. that the university has pat-
AP Chief Medical Writer or impractical for regular expected." A blood test — rather than ented and licensed to C2N
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scien- check-ups. It can't come too soon for subjective estimates of Diagnostics, a company
tists are closing in on a long- "We need something quick- patients like Tom Doyle, a thinking skills — could get he co-founded. Like the
sought goal — a blood test er and dirtier. It doesn't 66-year-old former univer- the right people into stud- Japanese test, it measures
to screen people for pos- have to be perfect" to be sity professor from Chicago ies sooner. the abnormal Alzheimer
sible signs of Alzheimer's useful for screening, said who has had two spinal One of the experimental protein, and the new results
disease and other forms of Maria Carrillo, the Alzheim- fluid tests since develop- blood tests measures ab- will show how well the test
dementia. er's Association's chief sci- ing memory problems four normal versions of the pro- reflects what brain scans
On Monday at the Al- ence officer. years ago. First he was told tein that forms the plaques show on nearly 500 people.
zheimer's Association Inter- Dr. Richard Hodes, direc- he didn't have Alzheimer's, in the brain that are the "Everyone's finding the
national Conference, half tor of the National Institute then that he did. He ulti- hallmark of Alzheimer's. Last same thing ... the results
a dozen research groups on Aging, called the new mately was diagnosed with year, Japanese research- are remarkably similar
gave new results on various results "very promising" and different problems — Lewy ers published a study of it across countries, across
experimental tests, includ- said blood tests soon will be body dementia with Parkin- and on Monday they gave techniques," said Bateman,
ing one that seems 88% used to choose and moni- son's. results from validation test- whose work is supported by
accurate at indicating Al- tor people for federally "They probably could have ing on 201 people with Al- the U.S. government and
zheimer's risk. funded studies, though it diagnosed me years ago zheimer's, other types of the Alzheimer's Association.
Doctors are hoping for will take a little longer to es- accurately if they had had dementia, mild impairment He estimates a screening
something to use during tablish their value in routine a blood test," said Doyle, or no symptoms. test could be as close as
routine exams, where most medical care. who represents patients The blood test results close- three years away.
dementia symptoms are "In the past year we've seen on the Alzheimer's Associa- ly matched those from the What good will that do
evaluated, to gauge who a dramatic acceleration in tion's board. top tests used now — three without a cure?
needs more extensive test- progress" on these tests, he About 50 million people types of brain scans and a An Associated Press-NORC
ing. Current tools such as said. "This has happened worldwide have dementia, mental assessment exam, Center for Public Affairs Re-
brain scans and spinal flu- at a pace that is far faster and Alzheimer's is the most said Dr. Akinori Nakamura search poll last year found
common form. There is no of the National Center for that most Americans would
cure; current medicines Geriatrics and Gerontol- want to know if they carried
just temporarily ease symp- ogy in Obu, Japan. The test a gene tied to a disease
toms. Dozens of hoped-for correctly identified 92% of even if it was incurable.
treatments have failed. people who had Alzheim- "What people want most of
Doctors think studies may er's and correctly ruled out all is a diagnosis" if they're
have enrolled people af- 85% who did not have it, having symptoms, said
ter too much brain dam- for an overall accuracy of Jonathan Schott of Univer-
age had occurred and in- 88%. sity College London. "What
cluded too many people Shimadzu Corp. has rights we don't like is not knowing
with problems other than to the test and is working what's going on."q