A quick finger prick and a few drops of blood on a card that can be sent by post. This approach could soon make Alzheimer’s testing much more accessible worldwide. A European study led by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, paves the way for this method.
The biomarkers measured in this test have been developed over a long period of time and have shown strong performance – initially in cerebrospinal fluid, then in venous blood samples and now in blood from superficial vessels in the finger.
With the new test, one or two drops of blood are collected via a finger prick on a special card, which immediately separates the blood cells from the plasma. After about 15 minutes, after the card has dried, it is sent by regular mail to a laboratory, where modern, high-sensitivity techniques are used to analyze the card.
Just as effective as venous blood collection
The current study includes capillary blood samples from 203 people who underwent the finger prick test at one of five memory clinics in Europe. The simple test kit was then sent to the University of Gothenburg’s department of neurochemistry, where established biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, such as pTau217, were analyzed.
The results were presented at the CTAD (Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease) conference in Madrid, Spain, on October 30, 2024, by Hanna Huber, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg:
The simple capillary blood test works almost as well as venous samples, but unlike traditional blood tests, this new test does not require transport on dry ice. This could significantly increase the accessibility of Alzheimer’s testing in countries and regions that do not have the infrastructure needed for high-sensitivity analyses.”
Hanna Huber, researcher, Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg
The test could possibly be implemented within a few years. A new European study is already underway to investigate whether the test can be self-administered, allowing individuals to prick their own finger and send the sample to a laboratory without the need for healthcare workers.
Early detection
The trial comes at an opportune time alongside the development of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, with the drug lecanemab already approved in many countries outside the EU. These treatments require early detection of disease to be effective.
The test opens up opportunities for new breakthroughs in research into Alzheimer’s disease, including its genetic profile and prevalence among the global population. However, researchers emphasize that the test is not intended for general screening of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends against general screening for Alzheimer’s disease because treatment options have historically been limited, making such screening ethically unjustified.
The Capitainer blood collection cards are used for the examination®SEP10 and Telimmune.