Developing a new device for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease within minutes

Lead Investigator: Dr Steven Quinn 

Institution: University of York

Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Project Grant

Start date: October 2023

Duration: 36 months

Amount: £305,907.85

“We urgently need to fix dementia diagnosis and this innovative research, funded by Alzheimer’s Society, could help to bring us closer to a future of accessible tools for early and accurate dementia diagnosis.”

Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director for Research and Innovation

Project summary:

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, yet in England more than a third of people with dementia do not have a diagnosis. 

To aid with the growing demand for early and accurate dementia diagnosis, Dr Steven Quinn’s research focuses on using light-based technology to develop a simple and cost-effective blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. 

Project background:

In England, it is estimated that more than 250,000 people with dementia are without diagnosis. However, early and accurate diagnosis can help people access the care and support they need, access potential treatments and research trials, and plan for the future.

Currently, dementia is diagnosed through memory assessments, brain scans and spinal taps. Some of these techniques can require hospitalization, can be a painful or stressful experience, are expensive and require specialist resources for hospitals. 

Dr Quinn’s project aims to develop and test a protein sensing technique to detect major proteins found in the blood of people living with Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of the project is to demonstrate that this new technology can be as accurate as currently used methods for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, and that this technology can be used to develop a simple, handheld and inexpensive blood test for Alzheimer’s disease.

What does this project involve?

Dr Quinn’s research will test a light biosensor to detect changes in Alzheimer’s disease-related proteins in the blood of people living with the disease. This light biosensor allows researchers to measure and detect changes in protein levels based on changes in light levels. 

The light sensor is a device the size of a postage stamp and uses a single droplet of blood to detect the protein s as they come into contact with specific small molecules present inside the sensor cartridge, changing the light emitted. This means that protein levels in the blood can be measured within minutes. 

Dr Quinn’s research aims to improve the current technology by testing different small molecules and chemicals inside the sensor cartridge. The aim of this research is to develop the best combination of materials which would allow the light biosensor to be sensitive enough to detect Alzheimer’s disease-related proteins even at low levels, whilst making the sensor accessible and low-cost. 

This technology will then be tested in clinics, using blood samples from a diverse group of people including healthy participants, participants with dementia, different races and ethnicities, and different demographics. 

How will this project help people with dementia?

This technology has the potential to be used as a new diagnostic tool, which would be cheaper and more easily accessible than the current methods of dementia diagnosis. 

With new Alzheimer’s disease treatments on the horizon, this technology would design a method for user-friendly blood test that would accelerate dementia diagnosis and help more people benefit from these potentially life-changing new treatments.