Blood Test Identifies Advanced Brain Disease
Scientists have found a blood biomarker that identifies an advanced form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, moving a step closer to diagnosing the degenerative brain condition in living people, [The Guardian] reported. Until now, CTE can be diagnosed only after death by examining brain tissue. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis identified a protein fragment in blood called eMTBR-tau243.
Testing Patients With Advanced CTE
The test could distinguish people with advanced CTE from healthy people with high accuracy. However, it could not reliably identify early-stage CTE. The test has not yet been validated for diagnosing CTE. “This is not going to be a standalone biomarker,” said Chihiro Sato, who co-authored the study with Horie, according to [The Guardian].
Impact on Contact Sports and Prevention
In one recent study of nearly 400 National Football League players whose brains were donated for examination after their deaths, 93.5% showed evidence of CTE, [The Guardian] reported. More than 350 NFL players have been diagnosed with CTE after their deaths. The boxer Ricky Hatton also had a mild CTE diagnosis after his death.
Questions About CTE Blood Testing
Can doctors diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy in living patients today?
No, CTE can currently be diagnosed only after death by examining brain tissue, though researchers have identified a blood biomarker that detects advanced forms of the disease in living patients.
Which protein fragment indicates advanced CTE in blood tests?
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis identified the protein fragment eMTBR-tau243, which is elevated in Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies.
Related reading