Novel Plasma-Based Assay Was More Strongly Associated With Tau Tangle Pathology In Alzheimer’s Disease Than Other Established Blood Biomarkers, Researchers Say

MedPage Today (4/1, George) reports, “A novel plasma-based assay was more strongly associated with tau tangle pathology in Alzheimer’s disease than other established blood biomarkers, researchers said.” This “assay measured a new plasma tau species known as endogenously cleaved, microtubule-binding region containing residue 243 (MTBR-tau243), which specifically reflected tau tangle pathology.” The investigators found that “plasma MTBR-tau243 was associated with tau PET binding...and cognitive performance...outperforming other markers like phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) and p-tau205.” MedPage Today adds, “The assay was tested in three cohorts. It distinguished between early- versus later-stage Alzheimer’s disease and separated Alzheimer’s disease from non-Alzheimer’s tauopathies.” The findings were published in Nature Medicine.