A new international study published in Nature Medicine has shown that Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers can be accurately detected from finger-prick blood samples collected at home and mailed to laboratories without refrigeration or special processing. The research, led by Nicholas Ashton, PhD, senior director of Banner’s Fluid Biomarker Program at Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Arizona, included collaborations with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.
The DROP-AD project involved 337 participants across seven European medical centers. It demonstrated that key markers of Alzheimer’s pathology and brain damage could be measured using blood dried on a card from a fingertip sample. This approach removes barriers for people who do not have access to specialized healthcare infrastructure, potentially expanding participation in brain disease research worldwide.
Dr. Ashton stated, “This breakthrough could fundamentally change how we conduct Alzheimer’s research by proving that the same biomarkers doctors use to detect Alzheimer’s pathology can be measured from a simple finger prick collected at home or in more remote community settings.” He added, “While we’re still years away from clinical use, we’re opening doors to research that was previously impossible – studying diverse populations, conducting large-scale screening studies, and including communities that have been historically underrepresented in Alzheimer’s studies.”
He further commented, “Ultimately, we are moving toward a pathway of treating people for Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms emerge. If this trajectory continues, we will need innovative ways to identify eligible individuals who are not routinely presenting in clinical settings. This work represents one such approach in that direction and further validation remains.”
The study found that levels of p-tau217 measured from finger-prick samples matched closely with standard blood tests and identified changes related to Alzheimer’s disease with 86% accuracy when compared to spinal fluid results. Other markers such as GFAP and NfL were also successfully measured using this method.
The University of Exeter Medical School contributed by recruiting participants from the PROTECT-UK study and was the only site testing self-collection capabilities. Participants managed to collect their own samples after viewing demonstrations and receiving instructions.
Anne Corbett, professor in Dementia Research at the University of Exeter said: “What excites me most is that this work makes this type of research far more accessible. We’re moving toward a future where anyone, anywhere, can contribute to advancing our understanding of brain diseases. This isn’t just a technical advancement – it’s a paradigm shift in how we conduct neuroscience research.”
Co-author Clive Ballard added: “Our ongoing work will determine whether this could also be a valuable way of identifying people in the community who would benefit from more detailed diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease.”
The researchers highlighted that while promising for future clinical application and other conditions like Parkinson’s disease or ALS through neurofilament light detection, additional validation is required before routine clinical use.
Banner Health’s Fluid Biomarker Program supports early detection efforts for neurodegenerative diseases through its specialized laboratories at Banner Sun Health Research Institute. Banner Health is among the largest nonprofit health systems nationally and operates facilities across several states including Arizona—where it is headquartered—as well as California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming (official website, official website). The organization provides services such as hospitals, health insurance plans, urgent care centers and virtual visits while supporting community benefits (official website). Banner Health aims to simplify health care to improve quality of life (official website).
Banner Sun Health Research Institute has focused on disorders related to aging since 1986 and leads efforts nationally and internationally for conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
The University of Exeter is recognized as a leading UK university with high student satisfaction ratings and strong performance in national rankings. The University of Gothenburg is one of Sweden’s largest educational institutions with strengths in neuroscience research.
