Scientists find blood biomarker that opens door to CTE diagnosis in living patients
Scientists have identified a blood biomarker that could enable the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living patients, a condition previously only diagnosable after death.
CTE, a degenerative brain condition caused by repeated head trauma, is especially prevalent in collision and contact sports such as American football, rugby, and football. The condition is linked to the buildup of a toxic protein called tau. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed after death by examining brain tissue.
A new study published in the medical journal JAMA Neurology has identified a protein fragment in blood, named eMTBR-tau243, that is elevated in people with advanced CTE. The researchers tested blood from 11 people whose CTE was confirmed at autopsy and found that levels of eMTBR-tau243 were higher than in healthy people and rose with the severity of the brain disease.
The test was able to distinguish people with advanced CTE from healthy people with high accuracy. However, it could not reliably identify early-stage CTE. The test has not yet been validated for diagnosing CTE, but the scientists say that if large studies confirm their findings, clinicians could use such a blood test to monitor people at risk from CTE and enable trials of drugs that could help the condition.
We are potentially opening a new door for diagnosing and treating CTE in living patients.
The neuroscientist Chihiro Sato, who co-authored the study with Horie, said, "This is not going to be a standalone biomarker. But if someone has a history of repeated head injury, tests negative for Alzheimer’s and this biomarker comes up, it might be CTE."
CTE continues to be a major focus of concern across science and sport. In one recent study of nearly 400 NFL players whose brains were donated for examination after their deaths, 93.5% showed evidence of CTE. More than 350 NFL players have been diagnosed with CTE after their deaths, including hall of fame center Mike Webster, two-time Super Bowl appearance player Junior Seau, and former MVP and broadcaster Frank Gifford.
Legal action is continuing from a number of living former rugby union and league players who have been diagnosed with Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES), including England World Cup winner Steve Thompson. The boxer Ricky Hatton also had a mild CTE diagnosis after his death.
Earlier this year, the Professional Footballers’ Association recommended that professionals should not head a ball more than 10 times a week in training sessions, and children under 12 not at all, as part of a CTE prevention protocol.
Related
