Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Researchers Develop Affordable Blood Test to Detect Alzheimer's Early
Alzheimer's is a disease that can slowly damage the brain and cause memory problems.
It cannot currently be cured.
However, Professor Deepak Nair says finding it early may help delay its effects for several years.
His team is studying tiny biological signs called biomarkers that appear in the blood.
Artificial intelligence would look at patterns among several biomarkers.
The goal is to create a cheaper test that could be used in ordinary health centers.
The test is still being developed and will need approval before people can use it widely.
Early detection could help patients, families, caregivers and governments plan better care.
Professor Deepak Nair says Alzheimer's cannot be cured but its onset may be delayed by five to 15 years.
His research aims to detect disease-related biomarkers in blood before symptoms appear.
The proposed test would use five to seven biomarkers and artificial intelligence to identify subtle patterns.
The test is being developed through eNLife, a startup co-founded at the Indian Institute of Science.
A beta version could be ready in 18 to 24 months, followed by regulatory approvals.
- Who
- Professor Deepak Nair and his eNLife co-founders, Lieutenant Colonel Jojo Jacob (retd) and Anish Mathew.
- What
- They are developing an affordable, AI-assisted blood test intended to detect Alzheimer's disease early.
- When
- The team estimates that an initial beta-testing version could be ready in 18 to 24 months.
- Where
- The research and startup are based at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, India.
- Why
- Early detection could enable planning and potentially delay the disease's effects, reducing its impact on families and caregivers.
- Alzheimer's share of dementia
- Alzheimer's disease accounts for roughly 60% to 70% of dementia cases.
- Current diagnosis
- The article says Alzheimer's is commonly assessed using MRI scans, with brain scans and spinal taps mainly available at larger hospitals.
- Proposed approach
- The researchers are studying blood-based biomarkers that may appear 10 to 15 years before symptoms.
- Biomarkers
- The current research uses five to seven biomarkers, with plans to expand the panel.
- Artificial intelligence
- AI is intended to detect subtle patterns among multiple biomarkers and improve as more data are collected.
- India's older population
- The article estimates that around 98 million people in India are above age 65.
- Development timeline
- The first beta-testing version is optimistically projected to take 18 to 24 months, after which approvals would be required.