Better blood and spinal fluid tests to find Alzheimer's biomarkers
DiLeu-enabled multiplexed quantitation for biomarker discovery and validation in Alzheimer’s disease
Using advanced lab methods, scientists are looking for proteins in blood and spinal fluid that could help detect Alzheimer's earlier in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308209 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be asked to give blood and sometimes a small spinal fluid sample so researchers can compare protein levels between people with and without Alzheimer's changes. The team uses a high-precision mass spectrometry technique with special tags to measure many proteins at once and look for patterns tied to brain changes and thinking problems. They will compare findings from spinal fluid and blood and check how the protein signals relate to memory tests and brain measures. Over time, they aim to confirm which proteins reliably mark disease progression and could be measured in routine clinical samples.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults (often older adults) with suspected or early-stage Alzheimer's disease, people with mild cognitive impairment, or volunteers willing to provide blood and possibly spinal fluid samples.
Not a fit: People who cannot or will not give blood or spinal fluid samples, or those whose memory problems are due to non‑Alzheimer causes, are less likely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to less invasive blood tests that detect Alzheimer's earlier and help track disease progression or response to treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Several other biomarker efforts, including blood tests for amyloid and phosphorylated tau, have shown promise, but applying DiLeu-enabled multiplex mass spectrometry to discover and validate new protein markers is a relatively new and specialized approach.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Lingjun — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Li, Lingjun
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.