Catalan researchers create a test to predict Alzheimer's

BarcelonaThe first tool that allows predicting the progression of mild cognitive impairment toward Alzheimer's dementia is here, and it has a Catalan stamp. It is a biomarker (a biological molecule that can be identified and quantified) in blood discovered and developed by the company ADmit Therapeutics, with Bellvitge Hospital as the clinical coordinating center. Unlike other blood tests recently developed by international teams, which serve to confirm the presence of the disease, the new MAP-AD test has focused on patient prognosis and provides decisive clinical information on the future evolution of each case. "Having a reliable tool that anticipates progression will allow us to improve the information given to families and better guide interventions," highlights Dr. Jordi Gascón, coordinator of the trial published this Friday in the journal iScience.

The test combines patient information with clinical data to predict with "high accuracy" which people who currently have mild cognitive impairment will progress to Alzheimer's dementia and which will remain stable. The promoters have already obtained the approval certifying that the test meets the safety and efficacy requirements of the European Union, so it is now ready for clinical application. Gascón maintains that having a reliable tool that anticipates the progression of the disease will be a very important "turning point" because it will allow for more informed conversations with families and better guide interventions, whether preventive, in clinical trials, or with new emerging therapies.

Marta Barrachina, CEO and co-founder of ADmit Therapeutics, which is a spin-off company of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), highlights that the company "is a clear example of disruptive innovation in the world of biomedicine, by achieving the transformation of laboratory-based research into the clinic." He maintains that the new test is "unique" and opens a new avenue for improving care for people with Alzheimer's.

More and more patients

According to data from the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut) from 2023, 2% of the population in Catalonia suffers from some type of dementia, with Alzheimer's being the most common (69%). This proportion increases with age, and in people over 70, the prevalence of dementia stands at 9.6% in our region. As it is an age-related disease, experts warn that cases will increase over the years, as the Catalan population is increasingly aging. In this context, having tools that allow predicting patient prognosis, such as this test, will help professionals improve the care provided to patients and their families.

The development of this biomarker coincides with the launch of the new Memory Unit at Bellvitge Hospital, which the center has promoted with the aim of transforming the care received by people with cognitive impairment. This is a new comprehensive and multidisciplinary model that, according to the hospital, has reduced the waiting list for the first visit from 12 months to just 15 days and has consolidated the unit as a "reference center" for more than 2,000 patients each year from Hospitalet Sud and El Prat de Llobregat.