Specialized Proteins Detected in Blood of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

A newly discovered protein in the bloodstream may provide a clearer diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study conducted by a research team from the University of California, San Francisco, the National Institute on Aging and NanoSomiX, Inc. They published their findings in the journal Neurology, and reported the discovery of lysosome biomarkers in those definitively diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Three separate proteins were found to have severely elevated levels in those diagnosed, indicating that the body was accelerating waste removal mechanisms related to brain tissue loss. “These proteins are in very tiny nerve cell-derived blood particles called exosomes. Abnormal levels of the proteins may be useful biomarkers that could help us study early treatments to limit or reverse the damage to brain cells and even prevent the development of the full-blown disease,” said the author of the study. “The results also show us that there are major abnormalities in how these proteins function in brain cells, which could potentially provide a new target for treatments.” To learn more about this study, click here.