Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – A pioneering international study has shown that Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers can be reliably identified using simple finger-prick blood samples, which individuals can collect at home and send to laboratories without the need for refrigeration or prior processing.
The research, led by the US-based Banner Health in collaboration with the University of Exeter Medical School and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is published today in Nature Medicine. This marks the first large-scale confirmation of an accessible testing method that eliminates geographic limitations and allows people worldwide to contribute to brain disease research without requiring specialised medical facilities.
The DROP-AD project, carried out across seven European medical centers, including the University of Gothenburg and the University of Exeter, involved 337 participants. The study demonstrated that finger-prick blood collection can precisely measure key indicators of Alzheimer’s pathology and brain damage. By removing logistical barriers, this advancement opens the door for global participation in Alzheimer’s research, which has traditionally been limited to well-equipped clinics.
Alzheimer’s disease is typically diagnosed using brain imaging or spinal fluid tests, both of which are invasive and costly. Blood tests targeting biomarkers, such as p-tau217, are emerging as accurate and accessible alternatives. While conventional blood draws (venipuncture) are less invasive than spinal taps or brain scans, challenges remain outside clinical settings, including proper sample handling, storage, and access to trained personnel for collection.
Professor Nicholas Ashton, senior director of Banner’s Fluid Biomarker Program and the study’s lead researcher, indicated that this discovery has the potential to transform the way Alzheimer’s research is carried out. It shows that the biomarkers doctors rely on to identify Alzheimer’s disease can be detected using a simple finger-prick sample taken at home or in remote community locations. Professor Ashton further pointed out that despite the fact that it will be several years before this method is used in clinical practice, it allows them to pursue research opportunities that were not possible before – including studying a wider range of populations, carrying out large-scale screening projects, and involving communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in Alzheimer’s research.
“Ultimately, we are moving toward a pathway of treating people for Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms emerge. If this trajectory continues, we will need innovative ways to identify eligible individuals who are not routinely presenting in clinical settings. This work represents one such approach in that direction and further validation remains.”
Scientists evaluated an innovative approach to identifying Alzheimer’s disease by analysing small drops of blood taken from a finger prick and dried onto special collection cards. These samples were used to measure proteins associated with Alzheimer’s as well as other indicators of changes in the brain among 337 study participants.
The research showed that measurements of the biomarker p-tau217 from finger-prick samples closely corresponded with those from conventional laboratory blood tests. The method was able to detect Alzheimer’s-related abnormalities found in spinal fluid with an accuracy rate of 86 percent. Two additional indicators, GFAP and NfL, were also reliably detected and demonstrated strong consistency with results obtained through standard testing methods.
Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School were central to the project, enrolling volunteers from the PROTECT-UK study and acting as the only centre to examine whether participants could collect samples on their own. After observing trained staff and receiving written guidance, individuals were able to successfully obtain their own finger-prick blood samples without any direct assistance.
Although the technique is not yet suitable for routine medical use, it overcomes several major obstacles in Alzheimer’s research. It allows people to take part in studies from home, supports easier recruitment and follow-up in clinical trials, enables wider population-based research, and makes it possible to include communities and regions that have limited access to specialised healthcare services.
The results indicate that this straightforward method could pave the way for large-scale research and remote testing, particularly benefiting high-risk groups such as individuals with Down syndrome, as well as other populations that are often underrepresented in medical research.
