Scientists develop method to track Alzheimer’s disease in real time

Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have developed a new technique to track the progress of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. 

The researchers, who worked in collaboration with partners at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, University of Padua and the Technical University of Denmark developed a new method to track the disease in real time using waves of light.  

“Being able to monitor changes in the brain as they happen – in real time and across different brain regions – is a major step forward,” said Professor Shuzo Sakata at Strathclyde and senior author of the study. “It will help researchers understand how Alzheimer’s disease develops and test whether new treatments are working, more quickly and accurately than before.” 

The process works by using light rays to measure the build-up a key indicator of Alzheimer’s disease called amyloid plaques in the brain.  

Amyloid plaques are groupings of misfolded proteins that accumulate in the brain, occupying the space between nerve cells as Alzheimer’s disease progresses.  

These plaques are toxic to the brain and lead to impaired signalling, inflammation and the eventual death of cells, which impairs the brain's ability to function correctly, eventually impacting memory. 

By using a special fluorescent dye that attaches to amyloid plaques and ultra-thin optical fibres to shine light into the brain, researchers were able to track the build-up of amyloid plaque in real time, as more dye became visible.  

“This approach allows us to track the disease over time in the same subject,” said Dr Niall McAlinden, a co-author of the paper and an expert in photonics at Strathclyde. “It opens new doors for studying the progression of Alzheimer’s and how it responds to treatment.”    

This is the first time that measurements using this method have been made in living animals that are not under the influence of anaesthetic or in a fixed position, allowing to move naturally.

The process was developed using mice, genetically modified to have Alzheimer's-like symptoms, who were analysed for the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s.  

Postmortem brain tissue of the mice was then analysed and the results closely matched those seen in the initial scans, confirming that the technique has a high level of accuracy.  

The team at Strathclyde and in Europe are now working to improve the system’s capabilities and develop ways to use the technique to study other aspects Alzheimer’s disease. 

The research was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 scheme, the Medical Research Council and Alzheimer’s Research UK.