SUN CITY, Ariz. (Nov. 19, 2025) – Dr. Nicholas Ashton, senior director of the Banner Research Fluid Biomarker Program, recently led a significant study published in Nature Communications that advances early detection of Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome.
The research demonstrates that a simple blood test measuring plasma p-tau217 can accurately detect Alzheimer's pathology in this high-risk population. Plasma p-tau217 is a protein found in blood that becomes elevated when Alzheimer's pathology is present in the brain. The study analyzed 2,329 samples and found that plasma p-tau217 achieved 96% accuracy in distinguishing cognitively stable individuals with Down syndrome from those with Alzheimer's.
This breakthrough is particularly important because individuals with Down syndrome have a greater than 90% lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's, yet diagnosis has historically been challenging. The findings support the use of this minimally invasive blood test as a reliable tool for early detection and monitoring, potentially enabling earlier intervention and improving recruitment for therapeutic trials.
The Fluid Biomarker Program is located at Banner Sun Health Research Institute.
Read the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65882-x
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