Bringing Alzheimer’s Blood Testing Closer to Home

Banner Alzheimer’s Institute - Phoenix, AZ

The Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) mission is to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Through research and innovation, BAI has helped advance the use of blood-based biomarkers that may provide new opportunities for detecting Alzheimer’s disease earlier and more easily.

The JTMF Foundation provided a $538,800 grant to support research evaluating new ways to collect blood samples for Alzheimer’s biomarker testing outside of traditional clinical settings. The project, led by Dr. Nicholas Ashton and Dr. Jessica Langbaum, will study capillary blood collection and dried blood spot techniques to determine which approaches can provide reliable results while making testing more convenient for participants.

The research team plans to collect and compare samples from approximately 200 participants and evaluate whether blood samples can be collected remotely using kits mailed directly to participants. If successful, this approach could eventually allow people to participate in Alzheimer’s screening and research without needing to travel to a medical facility for a traditional blood draw.

Making testing more accessible is particularly important as researchers continue to learn how Alzheimer’s disease develops and how it can potentially be detected before significant symptoms appear. Current methods such as brain imaging and lumbar punctures can be expensive, invasive, or difficult to access. Blood-based testing offers the potential for a simpler and more scalable alternative.

Remote collection could also help researchers reach people who may otherwise face barriers to participating in research, including individuals living far from medical centers and underserved populations. While questions remain about the reliability of dried blood spot collection and whether participants will consistently return at-home samples, the Banner team will use rigorous research methods to evaluate these challenges.

The JTMF Foundation is proud to support Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and its commitment to advancing innovative approaches to Alzheimer’s research.

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