Hong Kong scientists say blood test for detecting Alzheimer’s disease could become available to public by next year
- Researcher from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology says project members want to work with business sector to make tests widely available
- HKUST team also conducting preclinical trials on primates for possible treatment using genome-editing technology
A test that uses a single drop of blood to determine if a person has Alzheimer’s disease could become available to the general public by next year, a group of Hong Kong scientists have said.
Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) revealed the progress of the project on Wednesday, adding that they were also doing preclinical trials on primates to develop a treatment for the neurodegenerative disease through genome-editing technology.
The blood test was developed in a collaborative effort with scientists from the University College London (UCL), with local researchers aiming to make it easier to produce.
“We hope to simplify the test and use the lowest cost to achieve what we want to do,” said Fanny Ip Chui-fan, a core member of the team led by world-renowned neuroscientist Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu. “The test is likely to be launched early next year.”
The test uses a single drop of blood to examine 19 proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease and has an accuracy rate of more than 96 per cent.
The team was looking to collaborate with the business sector to produce the tests and make them more accessible to the public, said Fanny Ip. It cost the team US$1,500 to analyse each patient.