London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Hong Kong researchers develop test that detects Alzheimer’s in 2 days

Hong Kong researchers develop test that detects Alzheimer’s in 2 days

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology experts say they have come up with a simple, non-invasive and accurate diagnostic solution for Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a blood test that can detect Alzheimer’s disease in as little as two days with more than 96 per cent accuracy, allowing early detection and screening of dementia for the first time.

Led by world-renowned neuroscientist Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, vice-president for research and development at the university, the team developed an ultra-sensitive detection method with which it identifies 19 out of the 429 plasma proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

“With the advancement of ultra-sensitive blood-based protein detection technology, we have developed a simple, non-invasive and accurate diagnostic solution for AD, which will greatly facilitate population-scale screening and staging of the disease,” Ip said on Monday.

Brain imaging is commonly used to identify the disease.


Professor Amy Fu Kit-yu, a core member of Ip’s team, explained: “After identifying the relevant plasma proteins, we can then find the ‘AD signature’ in the blood.

“With this, we can distinguish AD patients from healthy people with more than 96 per cent accuracy. This system can also help us differentiate among the early, intermediate and late stages of the disease.”

While the test was not a cure for the disease, Fu said, early detection would allow early management and closer monitoring to slow the rate of deterioration. “We hope this may also pave the way for novel therapeutic treatments for the disease.”

Currently, doctors mainly rely on cognitive tests to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in a patient. Besides clinical assessment, brain imaging and lumbar puncture are the two commonly used procedures to detect changes in the brain caused by the disease.

Fu said the cost of the blood test was not known at this stage but it could be as low as several hundred dollars, while current assessments could come with a price tag of more than HK$10,000 (US$1,282).

“Compared to a blood test, those methods are invasive and rather expensive,” Fu said. “We just need one drop of your blood and the results can be expected in two days.”

She added: “Usually patients only go to see doctors and are diagnosed when they have memory problems. But AD affects the brain at least 10 years before symptoms appear.”

The work was conducted in collaboration with researchers at University College London and local clinicians at Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth hospitals, among others.

As the most comprehensive study of blood proteins in AD patients to date, the work has been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, and also featured on various scholarly platforms.

According to the Department of Health, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It is commonly regarded as an age-related disease. In Hong Kong, 5 to 8 per cent of those aged 65 or above reportedly could suffer from the disease, and up to 30 per cent of those aged 80 or over.

With an ageing population, Hong Kong could have an estimated 280,000 Alzheimer’s patients by 2036.

Dementia is a brain disease that causes deterioration not only in patients’ memory, judgment and the ability to perform daily activities, but also their emotions and behaviour. Early signs, such as recent memory loss, difficulty in completing familiar tasks, misplacing things, are easily overlooked due to the gradual onset.

The disease affects more than 50 million people worldwide.

Among the well-known figures to have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease were the late “father of fibre optics” Professor Charles Kao Kuen, late US president Ronald Reagan, and late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×