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March 24th, 2025 - Press notes

New study compares plasma biomarkers for detecting Alzheimer’s disease in memory clinics

A new study led by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), the research centre of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, has made significant strides in the search for effective blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease early detection. The research, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, provides a comprehensive comparison of various plasma biomarkers and their accuracy in detecting Alzheimer's disease in a memory clinic setting.

The study, led by Dr. Federica Anastasi from the BBRC and Aida Fernández-Lebrero, attending physician at the Cognition and Behavior Unit of the Hospital del Mar, which analyzed blood biomarkers from 197 participants of the BIODEGMAR cohort from Hospital del Mar, aimed to assess their diagnostic performance. Blood biomarkers act like early warning signals, helping doctors identify Alzheimer's disease through a simple blood test, making diagnosis more accessible and less invasive.

The biomarkers that have been analyzed in the study are phosphorylated tau (p-tau181, p-tau217, p-tau231), total tau (t-tau), and amyloid-beta (Aβ42/40) ratios. In Alzheimer's disease, abnormal changes occur in tau proteins, specifically when they become phosphorylated-meaning they gain phosphate molecules. This process is linked to the buildup of toxic tangles in the brain, a hallmark of the disease.

Clinical implications and future steps

The findings revealed that plasma p-tau biomarkers demonstrated superior accuracy in detecting Alzheimer's compared to other biomarkers, with p-tau217 emerging as the most reliable marker. Notably, p-tau217 showed a higher correlation with levels of the same biomarker in cerebrospinal fluid, reinforcing its potential as a surrogate for CSF biomarkers.

The research underscores the growing potential of blood-based biomarkers as a less invasive and accessible alternative to traditional lumbar punctures to extract CSF for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. These results support the integration of plasma p-tau biomarkers, particularly p-tau217, into routine clinical practice for early and accurate detection.

Dr. Marc Suárez-Calvet, corresponding author of the study, Group Leader of the Fluid Biomarkers and Translational Neurology Group at the BBRC and clinical neurologist at Hospital del Mar, emphasized the importance of these findings. "This study provides critical evidence that plasma biomarkers, especially p-tau217, can serve as highly accurate diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's disease. Their implementation in memory clinics could significantly improve early detection and patient care".

These findings mark a significant advancement in Alzheimer's research and in the development of pioneering innovative diagnostic approaches. Further studies are needed to validate these results across diverse populations and settings, but this research brings us one step closer to a future where Alzheimer's disease can be detected through a simple blood test.

Dr. Albert Puig-Pijoan, principal investigator of the BIODEGMAR cohort and clinical coordinator of the Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology Unit at Hospital del Mar and researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, highlighted the clinical impact of the findings. "This study, made possible thanks to the collaboration of our patients, reinforces the reliability of blood biomarkers for detecting Alzheimer's disease in a specialized clinical setting. The integration of these biomarkers into routine clinical practice could enhance diagnostic accessibility, making it less invasive and more widely available".

Reference article

Anastasi, F., Fernández-Lebrero, A., Ashton, N. J., Ortiz-Romero, P., Torres-Torronteras, J., González-Escalante, A., Milà-Alomà, M., Contador, J., García-Escobar, G., Manero-Borràs, R. M., Navalpotro-Gómez, I., Jiménez-Moyano, E., Sahajan, A., Hao, Q., Zhang, B., Jeromin, A., Le Bastard, N., Nadal, A., Mousavi, T., Kollmorgen, G., ... Suárez-Calvet, M. (2025). A head-to-head comparison of plasma biomarkers to detect Alzheimer's disease in a memory clinic. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21(2), e14609. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14609