Brazilian researchers create simple test to diagnose Alzheimer

During the research, scientists isolated a protein called Adam-10, which everyone has in their blood. Identifying what changes in it may indicate the presence of Alzheimer's. In order to confirm this deformation, 24 volunteers over 60 years of age were selected, divided among healthy individuals, Alzheimer's patients and mild neurocognitive disorder, a condition considered as pre-Alzheimer's.

Thus, the group created an electrochemical sensor with antibodies able to identify the amount of proteins in the bloodstream. After the analysis, a computer program reads the data and in 30 minutes shows if the patient has the disease.

Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the decline of cognitive functions, reducing the working capacities and social relation and interfering with behavior and personality. In Brazil, the number of people with the disease already reaches about 1.2 million. According to the Brazilian Alzheimer's Association, this number doubles by 2030.

The results showed that the examination done with the use of biomarkers, whose material cost is no more than R $ 3, makes it possible to identify different stages of the disease and even predisposition to Alzheimer's. The level of the biomarker tends to increase, depending on the degree of the disease.

Currently, one of the major challenges of Alzheimer's treatment is in diagnosis, being made with techniques that are not very precise for diagnosis, such as tomography, MRI, symptoms. Researchers believe the new test may help discover Alzheimer's still early in life.

According to the researchers, the patent for the biomarker has already been registered, but the product is expected to take five to 10 years to reach the market . The next step of the study will be to increase the number of volunteers to 200 to 300.

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