The new study identifies several proteins that can be found in the blood and can help predict in midlife the progression to dementia later in life, said Percy Griffin. He is the director of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer's Association in Chicago.
No single biomarker can say this person will develop Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. “By combining several biomarkers, we can increase our confidence in a diagnosis,” he said. “While more work and validation is needed, the opportunities found in this paper could add to that suite in the future."
This research was made possible by the advent of proteomics, or the large-scale study of proteins. “Using this technology, researchers analyzed more than 4,800 proteins and worked their way down to a small subset that demonstrates the greatest prediction for developing Alzheimer's disease," Fillit said. “Years ago, we could look at one or two proteins at a time, and now we can look at 4,800, and that is a scientific tour de force."In early July, the U.S.