A study from University of California in Los Angeles used immune cells to help identify a suspected indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. By testing the ability of immune cells in the blood to absorb the peptide amyloid beta, researchers moved toward developing a blood test which can gauge a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Patients in the study with Alzheimer’s disease demonstrated poor uptake of amyloid beta, while participants without the disease showed high uptake. The results conclude that if the immune system is not adequately clearing amyloid beta, there is risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
MP Biomedicals LLC of Orange County has a contract to commercialize the the technology developed by UCLA, creating a diagnostic blood test for screening for Alzheimer’s disease.
News source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/15/content_11709210.htm
