--- title: How Research on Alzheimer's biomarkers has evolved description: Hear how research on biomarkers for Alzheimer's and related dementias research has evolved over the past 10 years. image: https://atrinews.usc.edu/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-21%20at%201.12.17%20PM.png --- [![3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB](https://atrinews.usc.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB.png?width=2000&name=3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB.png)](https://atri.usc.edu/) - About - [Mission and Vision](https://atri.usc.edu/about/#top) - [ATRI Leadership](https://atri.usc.edu/about/#leadership) - [Timeline](https://atri.usc.edu/timeline/) - [Careers](https://usccareers.usc.edu/location/san-diego-jobs/1728-1209/6252001-5332921-5391811/4) - Research - Clinical Trials - [Groups](https://atri.usc.edu/groups/) - [Studies](https://atri.usc.edu/studies/) - [Site Locations](https://atri.usc.edu/site-locations/) - [Participate](https://atri.usc.edu/take-action/) - [Basic Science](https://atri.usc.edu/ntrd/) - Education - [Student Summer Research Program](https://atri.usc.edu/student-summer-research-program/) - People - [Our People](https://atri.usc.edu/our-people/) - [Leadership & Faculty](https://atri.usc.edu/our-people/#leadership-faculty) - [Team Leads](https://atri.usc.edu/our-people/#team-leads) - [Teams](https://atri.usc.edu/our-people/#teams) - Resources - [News](https://atrinews.usc.edu) - [Events Calendar](https://atri.usc.edu/events/) - [Resource Library](https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources) [Take action](https://atri.usc.edu/take-action/) article # How Research on Alzheimer's biomarkers has evolved ![](https://atrinews.usc.edu/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-21%20at%201.12.17%20PM.png) ++++++++++++++++ [ Watch Video Here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6254rCEeIc&list=PLmk21KJuZUM5en04l9gF08T74EMmFSkY5&index=1)   It used to be thought that you could only diagnose Alzheimer's disease  definitively after people had died.  We no longer have to wait until people pass away to know for certain what the diagnosis is.    The most recent advancements in biomarkers have been in the blood. With a simple blood test, a single vial of blood can be sent in and analyzed.  So this really will have a seismic change in the way that we do research and one day the way we practice clinical care.   And so these changes are coming very rapidly.   We're already implementing the blood test in our research studies and in clinical trials.  And already today, there are blood tests available to physicians to order for their patients to help aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.   In the future, I expect we'll be using these blood tests on a regular basis in the clinic to identify people who have Alzheimer's disease and one day maybe people who are at risk of Alzheimer's disease. By having that substantial financial commitment towards the fight against Alzheimer's, enormous progress has been made.   Another thing is that the kinds of trials that we're running now where we're testing multiple drugs in parallel at the same time, that's accelerating our ability to find effective treatments.   When I first started research in Alzheimer's disease, I never would have believed we would have made the incredible progress we have so far.   The commitment of the resources through NAPA ([National Alzheimer's Project Act](https://aspe.hhs.gov/collaborations-committees-advisory-groups/napa)) and through the NIH (National Institutes of Health) have been transformational in research and are already advancing discoveries that are having an impact in not just how we do research, but now how we practice medicine.    And I do think that the future is incredibly promising and hopeful that it may not be long before we have highly effective treatments that really make a difference for individual patients and their families with this kind of commitment. ## Related Resources [View All Resources ![](https://7222284.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7222284/Group%2043.svg)](https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources) #### [Welcome to the Alzheimer's Research Podcast](https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources/welcome-to-the-alzheimers-research-podcast) podcast #### [Working Together on Alzheimer’s Research](https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources/working-together-on-alzheimers-research) Video #### [Latinos at high-risk of developing Alzheimer's](https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources/latinos-at-high-risk-of-developing-alzheimers) article [View All Resources ![](https://7222284.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7222284/Group%2043.svg)](https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources) [![trimmed3_3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB](https://atrinews.usc.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/trimmed3_3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB.png?width=200&height=63&name=trimmed3_3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB.png)](https://atri.usc.edu/)   9860 Mesa Rim Road, San Diego, CA 92121 ATRI-info@atri.usc.edu Phone: (858) 964-4644 Fax: (858) 622-1904 [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alzheimer-s-therapeutic-research-institute/) [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ATRI_USC) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/USCATRI) - [Contact](https://atri.usc.edu/contact/) - [Take Action](https://atri.usc.edu/take-action/) - [Directory](https://atri.usc.edu/our-people/) - [Digital Accessibility](https://accessibility.usc.edu/accessibility-at-usc/digital-accessibility/) ## Sign up for our Newsletter ### Stay up to date with the latest news in Alzheimer’s therapeutics. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "ATRI", "url" : "https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources/author/atri" }, "dateModified" : "2024-05-20T16:16:34.642Z", "datePublished" : "2022-06-21T20:26:18.000Z", "headline" : "How Research on Alzheimer's biomarkers has evolved", "image" : [ "https://atrinews.usc.edu/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-21%20at%201.12.17%20PM.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://atrinews.usc.edu/resources/progress-potential-biomarkers", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://atrinews.usc.edu/hubfs/trimmed2_3L_USC-EFATRI_Card-Blk_RGB-1.png" }, "name" : "USC ATRI" } } ```