Alzheimer’s Could Be Detected Seven Years Prior to Symptoms

A new study shows that brains of people genetically inclined toward Alzheimer’s are likely to show abnormal immune reactions as early as seven years before the expected onset of the disease. The researchers measured the levels of TREM2, a protein found in the cerebrospinal fluid, in 127 individuals with an average age of 40 who had a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s and who showed no symptoms of dementia or had only minor cognitive impairments. They found that a rise in TREM2 levels is associated with an increase in immune activity of the brain, which can be traced to the progression of Alzheimer’s. By monitoring these levels years before the expected occurrence of Alzheimer’s symptoms, the timing for the onset of the disease can be precisely predicted. “TREM2 levels could therefore be a biomarker used to track immunity activity while Alzheimer’s is progressing, irrespective of whether the disease is genetic or not,” explained Michael Ewers, professor at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. “TREM2 may also serve as a therapeutic marker to monitor drug response.”