Global study launches finger-prick blood screening for early Alzheimer’s detection

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - An international research initiative has been launched to assess whether a finger-prick blood test can help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage, according to a BBC report on Monday.

The test is being examined under the Bio-Hermes-002 study led by the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, which aims to advance diagnosis through blood-based and digital biomarkers.

The study involves 1,000 volunteers aged over 60 across the UK, US, and Canada and seeks to identify biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Bio-Hermes-002, led by LifeArc in partnership with the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, focuses on identifying three blood-based proteins linked to the disease.

"By analysing the concentration and the levels of these proteins it may tell us whether a person is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,” Giovanna Lalli, director of strategy and operations at LifeArc, told the BBC.

Previous research has shown that abnormal proteins known as amyloid and tau can accumulate in the brain up to 15 years before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, begin to appear.

All participants will also undergo established diagnostic procedures, including PET brain scans using radioactive tracers or lumbar punctures to collect cerebrospinal fluid.

Because these methods are costly, invasive and not widely available, researchers hope the finger-prick test could significantly improve access to early detection.

So far, 883 of the planned 1,000 participants have been enrolled in the study, with more than 360 having completed all tests. The trial is expected to conclude in 2028.