A new blood test for Alzheimer’s takes a step toward the clinic
Researchers have validated clinical cut-points for a new blood-based biomarker, plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217), to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Using two commercial assays (Lumipulse and ALZpath) in a cohort of symptomatic patients, the study established thresholds that achieved high diagnostic accuracy (AUC ~0.94) against gold-standard cerebrospinal fluid and amyloid PET measures. The Lumipulse assay, now available in a UK clinical laboratory, will be used in a randomized trial to assess the impact of disclosing p-tau217 results in memory clinics.
Why it might matter to you:
This work directly advances the clinical translation of a proteomic biomarker for a major neurodegenerative disease. The validation of standardized cut-points and the planned trial for result disclosure represent a concrete move from research to clinical actionability. For your work on diagnostic assays, it demonstrates a clear pathway for integrating a blood-based biomarker into real-world diagnostic algorithms and evaluating its practical impact.
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