SoylentNews

upstart writes:

Scientists Develop Blood Test That Detects Alzheimer's Years Before Onset:

Alzheimer's is a form of progressive dementia that impacts nearly one in every 10 seniors. Given its pervasiveness and its heartbreaking nature, scientists are working harder than ever to understand the disease—especially when it comes to causes and prevention. A new study out of Washington adds to this research by offering an early detection method and solidifying a potential Alzheimer's trigger.

Bioengineers and neuroscientists at the University of Washington have developed a test called SOBA, which looks for clumps of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). Each of these clumps constitutes an oligomer, or a molecule made up of repeating units that has long been believed to be associated with the onset of Alzheimer's. Under what's called the amyloid cascade hypothesis, scientists consider Aβ plaques to be responsible for triggering Alzheimer's pathology, including the neurofibrillary tangles and inflammation associated with the disease.

[...] The team's study comes just months after a shocking report claiming that the amyloid cascade hypothesis was the result of widespread research fraud. With an investigation into the alleged fraud still underway, some scientists are concerned that this could mean the end of the hypothesis as a whole. But the team at the University of Washington appears to believe the hypothesis holds strong, and the results of their study—published last month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—suggests the same.

Journal Reference:
Dylan Shea, Elizabeth Colasurdo, Alec Smith, et al., SOBA: Development and testing of a soluble oligomer binding assay for detection of amyloidogenic toxic oligomers, PNAS, 119, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213157119

Original Submission