Noninvasive MRI approach ‘could help detect Alzheimer’s disease’

A new noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach has been demonstrated to offer potential in detecting Alzheimer's disease in living subjects at an early stage.

The interdisciplinary team of Northwestern University scientists and engineers have created an MRI probe that pairs a magnetic nanostructure with an antibody that seeks out the amyloid beta brain toxins responsible for onset of the disease.

These accumulated toxins, because of the associated magnetic nanostructures, show up as dark areas in MRI scans of the brain, making them highly visible. Toxic amyloid beta oligomers may be a better diagnostic target than plaques, which tend to occur at a much later stage of Alzheimer's, making the disease difficult to treat even if discovered.

Identifying and detecting the correct biomarker for new drug discovery is considered a key Alzheimer's treatment target.

Study leader and neuroscientist William Klein at Northwestern University said: "We expect to use this tool to detect this disease early and to help identify drugs that can effectively eliminate the toxin and improve health."

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting almost 500,000 people in the UK.