Research has found that a new blood test can detect 'killer' proteins years before Alzheimer's disease symptoms appear
Date : December 5, 2022
Souce : University of Washington
summary : In addition to the protein "poison" accumulating in the blood of people with Alzheimer's disease, researchers can find it in the blood of those who receive it at the end of their blood samples who show no signs of dementia. This blood test detects oligomers, or small abnormal clumps, of the amyloid-beta protein that researchers believe causes Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, patients with Alzheimer's disease are diagnosed when they experience symptoms of the disease, such as memory loss. At that time, the best treatment will slow the progression of symptoms.
But research shows that the seeds of Alzheimer's disease were planted decades, decades ago, long before the knowledge leading to its discovery was available. These nuclei are amyloid-beta proteins that aggregate to form small aggregates called oligomers. Over time, researchers are still trying to understand how amyloid-beta oligomers become "toxic" in Alzheimer's disease.
However, SOBA showed oligomers in the blood of 11 people in the control group. Follow-up records were obtained for 10 of the participants, and one year later, all were diagnosed with Alzheimer's-related cognitive impairment or brain damage. Conversely, in these 10 subjects, SOBA acquired the toxic oligomer before the onset of symptoms.
"Doctors and researchers need a reliable Alzheimer's test, one that not only diagnoses Alzheimer's but can detect symptoms before dementia occurs." This is very important for human health. in any study of how toxic amyloid-beta oligomas progress and break down," said Professor Valerie Deggett of the same type of experiment at the UW Institute of Molecular Engineering and Science.
SOBA, which stands for soluble oligomer binding assay, takes advantage of the distinct behavior of soluble oligomers. When misfolded beta-amyloid proteins begin to assemble into oligomers, they form what are called alpha sheets. Alpha books are rarely found in nature, and previous research by Daggett's team has shown that alpha books and other alpha books stick together. At the heart of SOBA is a synthetic alpha sheet his team developed that can bind to oligomers in cerebrospinal fluid or blood samples. The test uses standard methods to detect the presence of amyloid-beta protein and oligomers placed on the probe.
The team measured Soba's blood samples from 310 previous blood donors and some medical records for the Alzheimer's study. At the time of the blood test, there was no evidence of dementia, mild dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other disabilities in this study.
SOBA oligomers have been detected in the blood of people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. In 53 cases, the researchers confirmed Alzheimer's disease after death, and in 52 cases, toxic oligomas were in the blood a year before death.
SOBA oligomas were also detected in the control group, which subsequently experienced mild cognitive impairment. Blood samples from other healthy controls did not contain toxic oligomers.
Deget’s team worked with scientists at Altpep to develop SOBA as a means of separating oligomers. In the study, the team found that SOBA can recognize toxic oligomers of a type of protein associated with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy bodies.
“In many human diseases, we see an accumulation of toxic oligomers that form alpha cells,” Daggett said. "It's not just Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes. Soba, especially the alpha system, we think this system will help.
Daggett believes the experiment has enormous potential.
He hopes SOBA will be a unique tool for identifying people at risk for developing or developing the disease and for developing early treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Dylan Shea, a student in the molecular engineering program in the UW Department of Bioengineering, led the research. The authors are Elizabeth Colasado of the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System. Alec Smith, UW assistant professor of physiology and biophysics; Courtney Pascual, a student in the UW Health Sciences Education Program, said Drs. Suman Jayadeva, assistant professor at UW; doctor. UW Professor of Medicine and Pathology Dirk Keen; Douglas Galasco, professor of neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego; doctor. Andrew Coe, UW Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery; Dr. A.S. Gee Lee is right. Elaine Peskind, UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, VA Puget Sound Health Care System. Funding for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the Washington Research Foundation, and the Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Research, Education, and Clinical Research.
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