U. researchers discover Alzheimer's marker

Researchers from the University and around the world have confirmed the discovery of a diagnostic tool for early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a lack of brain cells which results in the degeneration of remembering faces and symbols, Director of the Alzheimer's Center and Medical School Professor John Trojanowski explained. The current method of detection involves reviewing autopsy material. The new procedure, along with clinical observation, can detect the disease much earlier. Scientists believe that the use of Positron Emission Tomography can determine Alzheimer's in risk-prone individuals up to 20 years in advance. Researchers maintain that the protein "tau" is one indicator of the disease. The protein attaches to a form of phosphorous and becomes tangled. Scientists have found these tangles in autopsied brains of Alzheimer's patients. High levels present in the brain fluid are linked with high degrees of the disease in patients. And there may be abnormal forms of tau that are connected with Alzheimer's. The new testing technique promises to be more effective than methods such as genetic testing because those under age 65 display the same tau levels as those older -- implying that tau is definitely an early marker for Alzheimer's disease. "This means one could extend the tests to people with mild memory impairments and be able to pick it up [the disease] in a 55-year-old," Trojanowski said. Considering that the 60-and-over age group is the most rapidly growing segment of the population, and that Alzheimer's is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S., this is an especially important discovery, Trojanowski added. Forty to 45 percent of 85-year-olds are suffering from the disease, and the rate doubles every five years after age 65, he added. Other studies conducted in Germany, Sweden, and Japan have revealed similar findings, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Virginia Lee said. To further validate results, there has been testing of a country's population in other countries. "People in Philadelphia were tested by the Japanese," Lee said. Although the discovery is very encouraging, Lee emphasized that it is only the first step. "It's a very exciting finding that has been repeated by a lot of people and needs a lot more work," she said. Since tau testing is still in the experimental stages, it is not advisable for those who believe they are predisposed to the disease.

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