Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have made a major breakthrough in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. They have developed a new blood test called the Penta-Plex Alzheimer’s Disease Capture Sandwich Immunoassay, or 5ADCSI for short.
This test is unique because it can measure five important biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s all at once, using technology that is already common in many laboratories. This makes it both cost-effective and easy to implement compared to existing tests.
The study detailing this discovery was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The researchers explained that Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the buildup of certain proteins in the brain—mainly amyloid and tau.
As the disease progresses, these proteins also appear in the blood. Being able to measure these proteins early on could help doctors detect Alzheimer’s long before serious symptoms show up, potentially slowing the disease with early treatment.
There are already some blood tests for Alzheimer’s, but they are expensive, require special equipment, and usually only measure one or two biomarkers at a time. The new 5ADCSI test, however, measures five: two types of amyloid (Aβ40 and Aβ42), phosphorylated tau (p217Tau), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).
The technology behind this new test is called xMAP, which is produced by the biotechnology company Luminex. This system is widely used in labs across hospitals, universities, and clinics, making it easier to adopt.
Dr. Ebrahim Zandi, who led the research, emphasized the importance of creating a low-cost, easily accessible test. He believes it could allow for regular screenings for Alzheimer’s disease, similar to how people get their cholesterol and blood sugar levels checked.
The idea is that if people can get tested early enough, they can make lifestyle changes or take medications that could slow the progression of the disease. According to Zandi, Alzheimer’s takes 10 to 20 years to fully develop, during which time these proteins slowly build up in the brain. Detecting them early could allow for life-changing interventions before serious damage is done.
To create the 5ADCSI test, the researchers first chose the five key biomarkers that are known to be linked to Alzheimer’s disease. They designed a custom blood test that uses xMAP technology to detect these biomarkers. The xMAP system works with tiny beads that are color-coded and coated with antibodies.
These antibodies are like keys that fit perfectly with the biomarkers found in Alzheimer’s. When a blood sample is added to the test, the biomarkers in the blood attach to the beads. Special imaging sensors then read the colors of the beads to measure the amount of each biomarker present.
Once the test was built, the team tried it out on 63 blood samples from three different groups of people: 11 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, 17 with mild cognitive impairment (which is often an early sign of Alzheimer’s), and 35 healthy individuals.
The test showed the highest levels of these biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer’s, followed by those with mild cognitive impairment. Among the biomarkers, one called p217Tau was especially strong at indicating the presence of Alzheimer’s.
The researchers also tested the 5ADCSI on samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is known to hold higher levels of Alzheimer’s proteins but is much harder to collect.
Surprisingly, the results from the blood test matched well with the results from the spinal fluid, suggesting that the blood test is accurate enough to catch early signs of Alzheimer’s without the need for invasive procedures.
Originally, the 5ADCSI was designed as a research tool to help scientists like Christopher Beam, who studies cognitive aging, measure Alzheimer’s biomarkers in a more affordable way. But the researchers soon realized its potential as a clinical tool.
Now, they are planning to test the technology on hundreds of patients across different stages of Alzheimer’s to confirm its accuracy.
Dr. Zandi hopes that the test could be widely used in the near future, not just in the United States but globally. His long-term vision includes combining the 5ADCSI test with genetic testing for the APOE4 gene variant, which is linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.
This combination could provide a comprehensive brain health risk assessment, allowing people to understand their personal risk and take steps to protect their brain health earlier in life.
If the larger trials are successful, the 5ADCSI test could become a standard part of health check-ups, making early detection of Alzheimer’s easier and more affordable than ever before. This could mean catching the disease at a stage when it is still manageable, offering hope to millions of people at risk of cognitive decline.
If you care about Alzheimer’s, please read studies about the likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease , and new non-drug treatment that could help prevent Alzheimer’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The research findings can be found in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
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