Researchers at Mass General Brigham report that serial blood levels of pTau217 forecast amyloid and tau plaque buildup in the brain before PET scans turn positive in a cohort of 317 older adults. The biomarker could be used to pre‑screen participants for trials and, eventually, to shift Alzheimer’s case detection earlier in routine care.
— Earlier, cheaper detection changes who gets recruited into trials, when treatments or counseling start, and raises policy questions about validation standards, screening guidelines, and health‑system capacity.
Rémi Lamontagne-Caron
2026.09.10
85% relevant
The article emphasizes blood‑based biomarkers and vascular signals as early indicators of disease and questions reliance on plaque imaging; this directly connects to the existing idea that blood tests can detect Alzheimer’s pathology earlier than PET scans and thus reshape screening, trials, and clinical pathways.
Jake Currie
2026.04.14
100% relevant
Study published in Nature Communications by Mass General Brigham; measured pTau217 in blood and found it predicted later PET amyloid‑positivity (quote from author Hyun‑Sik Yang).
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