Scottish researchers working on diagnosing and treating dementia-causing diseases have received a £1 million funding boost.
The Scottish Biologics Facility (SBF) at the University of Aberdeen is developing a blood test which can provide an early indication of susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease.
Abnormalities in a brain protein called tau are recognised as indicators of Alzheimer’s.
The researchers believe they are close to having a test showing unusual activity in the processing of the protein. That would allow for therapeutic interventions to happen earlier and help to reduce risk factors or to slow down progression of the condition.
Soumya Palliyil, the head of SBF, described a healthy tau protein as looking like a string of pearls but with Alzheimer’s it takes on an abnormal structure that looks more like a hairpin.
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Eventually those misformed proteins cause others to do the same with the progression of that eventually leading to cell death and clinical dementia.
Palliyil said: “We are now close to having a test that can recognise the appearance of these tau ‘hairpins’ as an indication of disease onset. What is even more exciting is early data suggests the same antibodies could be developed to remove these disease-causing structures as a possible treatment.”
SBF is undertaking the research on behalf of the commercial sponsors Genting TauRx Diagnostic Centre and TauRx Pharmaceuticals. Since 2017 more than £3 million has been raised.
The Times is hosting a life sciences summit at the University of Aberdeen’s King’s College conference centre next Wednesday. Further details can be found at times-event.com/lifesciences
