Patients with Alzheimer’s generally receive their diagnoses after they have already developed the well-known signs of the disease, particularly memory loss. However, research shows that the seeds of Alzheimer’s appear long before the cognitive impairments surface. These seeds are the misfolded oligomers of amyloid beta proteins, which accumulate over time and develop into Alzheimer’s.
Researchers from the University of Washington have now developed a novel blood test, namely soluble oligomer binding assay or SOBA, that can detect amyloid beta oligomers long before the onset of cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. SOBA consists of a synthetic alpha sheet that can bind to oligomers in either cerebrospinal fluid or blood and detect the presence of amyloid beta protein. The team used blood samples from individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and previously taken samples from…
