Seoul St. Mary's Hospital identifies blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's treatment

Researchers at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital have identified potential blood-based biomarkers that may predict the effectiveness and side effects of antibody treatments for Alzheimer's disease. The study, led by professors Dong-woo Kang and Ki-hwan Byeon, focused on the levels of complement proteins C1q and C3 in the blood.

Findings indicated that higher pre-treatment levels of C1q were associated with a smaller reduction in brain amyloid levels following treatment with lecanemab, an antibody therapy designed to slow cognitive decline. Conversely, lower levels of C3 were linked to a higher frequency of Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA), a common side effect involving brain edema or microhemorrhages.

The study analyzed clinical data from 62 patients with early-stage Alzheimer's. While the results suggest that C1q and C3 could serve as auxiliary tools alongside genetic and MRI testing to refine patient risk profiles, the research team noted that this was an exploratory analysis from a single institution. Further multi-center prospective studies are required to validate these findings for clinical use.