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Scientists find blood biomarker that opens door to CTE diagnosis in living patients
Researchers have found a blood protein fragment that may help identify advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living people. CTE is linked to repeated head impacts and affects people in contact sports, but it can currently be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after death.
In tests of 11 people whose CTE was confirmed after death, eMTBR-tau243 levels were higher than in healthy people and increased with disease severity. The test distinguished advanced CTE from healthy people with high accuracy, but did not reliably detect early-stage disease and has not been validated for diagnosis. Larger studies are needed; if they confirm the findings, the test could help monitor people at risk and support trials of potential treatments.
In short
- A blood marker may help detect advanced CTE during life.
- The early-stage disease was not reliably identified.
- Larger studies are needed before clinical use.
Explained simply
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease associated with repeated blows or jolts to the head. It has been studied in people who take part in contact sports, and can only be confirmed by examining brain tissue after death.
Researchers study tau, a protein found in the brain, because abnormal forms can build up in people with CTE. A blood test that detects a fragment of tau could make it easier to study the disease while people are alive, but current research suggests it may only identify advanced cases.
The possibility matters to people exposed to repeated head impacts, their families and clinicians. A reliable test could help researchers follow changes over time and assess treatments, though larger studies are needed before it can be used to diagnose CTE.
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