This project aims to make Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis more accessible and less invasive by developing new blood tests. Alzheimer’s, a condition causing memory loss and cognitive decline, is typically diagnosed using expensive brain scans (PET imaging) or spinal fluid tests, both of which are invasive and not widely available.

To address this, the project is focused on two promising biomarkers in blood: %pTau217 and MTBR-243. %pTau217 measures a specific form of the tau protein, which changes in the brain during Alzheimer’s, while MTBR-243 detects fragments of tau associated with brain cell damage. Although current blood tests for these markers rely on a technology called mass spectrometry, which is highly accurate, it’s complex, expensive, and only available in specialized labs. This limits its use, especially in community clinics and underserved areas.

The innovation in this project is the development of simpler, more affordable tests called immunoassays. These immunoassays would allow for high-throughput testing, meaning they could be run quickly on a large scale. Once developed, these new blood tests could be used in everyday healthcare settings to screen for Alzheimer’s, monitor disease progression, and identify those who could benefit from early treatments. By making advanced Alzheimer’s diagnostics available in more places and at lower costs, this project has the potential to improve access to early detection and care for people around the world