One of the most important shifts in neurodegeneration research is the move toward blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. A simple blood draw is far less invasive and more scalable than cerebrospinal fluid sampling or PET imaging — but it comes with a hard technical requirement: the relevant proteins circulate in plasma at extremely low concentrations.
The key blood biomarkers
Several markers have emerged as central to Alzheimer's research:
- p-Tau (e.g. p-Tau217, p-Tau181): phosphorylated tau species that track closely with amyloid and tau pathology.
- Neurofilament light chain (NfL): a marker of axonal injury and neurodegeneration.
- GFAP: associated with reactive astrogliosis.
- Amyloid-β 42/40 ratio: reflecting amyloid pathology.
Why ultra-sensitivity is essential
In plasma, these proteins are present at concentrations that are often orders of magnitude lower than in cerebrospinal fluid. Measuring them reliably — and resolving the small differences that matter clinically — requires assays that can quantify proteins in the femtogram-per-millilitre range. Standard immunoassays simply do not reach that depth.
This is where single-molecule, digital detection becomes decisive. By counting individual captured targets rather than averaging a bulk signal, Mecwins' AVAC technology delivers the sensitivity and dynamic range needed to study these biomarkers directly in blood. The AVAC Analyzer labels targets with plasmonic nanoparticles and counts them one by one through dark-field micro-spectrophotometry.
Mecwins and Alzheimer's innovation
Mecwins is actively advancing ultrasensitive detection for neurology. You can read more about our work and collaborations on the Alzheimer's Innovation page, where we focus on bringing ultra-high sensitivity to the biomarkers that underpin earlier and more accessible assessment of neurodegeneration.
Interested in ultrasensitive neuro-biomarker detection? Get in touch with our team to discuss your project.