Neurologists have found a new biomarker that will indicate Alzheimer's before the symptoms appear.
According to Science Alert, a team of researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the University of Barcelona in Spain discovered a molecule of microRNA called miR-519a-3p that will give a vital early warning system for Alzheimer’s.
Neuroscientist José Antonio del Río from IBEC noted, "Currently, tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease are usually carried out after the onset of symptoms when there is already underlying cognitive impairment."
He further added, "We believe that the detection of this microRNA may help to establish additional criteria for a more accurate diagnosis in the early stages of the disease."
Another researcher from IBEC said, "If our goal is to use miR-519a-3p as a biomarker to detect Alzheimer's dementia in hypothetically healthy people, it is essential to ensure that its levels are not altered in other neurodegenerative diseases."
She explained, "In our study, we compared the levels of this biomarker in samples from other tauopathies and Parkinson's disease, confirming that the changes in miR-519a-3p are specific to Alzheimer's disease."
Dayaneth Jácome from IBEC suggested, "The next step is to validate miR-519a-3p as a biomarker in blood samples from different cohorts of patients in order to start using it in the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in peripheral samples.”
