Una semplice analisi del sangue che può diagnosticare con grande tempestività l'insorgenza del morbo di Alzheimer è stata sviluppata da scienziati dell'Università di Melbourne, in Australia.
L'equipe di ricerca guidata dal biologo molecolare Andrew Hill aveva già identificato quali mutamenti si verificano nel cervello dei pazienti fino a due decenni prima che si manifestino i primi segni di demenza, attraverso costosi test di imaging cerebrale. La nuova analisi del sangue può far prevedere molto presto i cambiamenti e il rischio che la persona sviluppi l'Alzheimer.
Hill spiega sul sito dell'Università che la sua equipe ha studiato i geni conosciuti come microRNA in piccoli insiemi detti exosomi, di pazienti di Alzheimer, e li ha paragonati a quelli di soggetti sani. Nella prima parte dello studio sono state sequenziale 50 persone, 23 pazienti di Alzheimer e 23 soggetti sani, e alcuni altri in fase di transizione. Sono stati così identificati 16 microRNA su 1’400 che erano mutati nei pazienti di Alzheimer.
Red.MM/ATS/Swing
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