Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases look very different from the outside. But a study from the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center suggests they may share some of the same underlying problems inside our cells, and that a simple blood sample could one day help reveal them.

What the researchers did

The team analyzed RNA from blood samples stored in a large public research database. RNA carries instructions from our genes and shows which genes are active in cells. Using machine learning, the researchers compared blood RNA from people with six different neurodegenerative diseases:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Huntington’s disease
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Friedreich’s ataxia

The goal was to find which patterns were shared across diseases and which were unique to each one. The study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

What they found

The researchers identified eight cellular processes that were disrupted across all six diseases. These included:

• How cells switch genes on and off
• Immune responses and inflammation
• How cells make, tag and break down proteins
• The function of mitochondria, the parts of cells that produce energy
• Programmed cell death
• The cell’s internal support structure

They also found patterns unique to each disease. For example, changes related to how cells process genetic messages, known as spliceosome regulation, showed up only in Alzheimer’s.

The researchers suggested that these shared problems may be fundamental to how brain cells break down, while the differences may help explain why each disease affects different parts of the brain.

Neurodegenerative diseases share a common thread: nerve cells gradually stop working and die. Most of these conditions have no cure, and many treatments only ease symptoms. Finding processes that go wrong across several diseases could help researchers design treatments that work more broadly, rather than starting from scratch for each one.

Why a blood test matters

Today, diagnosing many neurodegenerative diseases can involve expensive brain scans, spinal taps or specialized tests, and diagnosis often comes after symptoms are well established. Blood is cheap and easy to collect, and it can be sampled repeatedly to track changes over time. If blood RNA patterns prove reliable, they could someday support earlier diagnosis, help monitor disease progression and point to new treatment targets.

This was an analysis of existing data, and the findings need to be confirmed in larger studies before any blood test like this could be used in a doctor’s office.

What this means for you

• Take memory and movement changes seriously. New trouble remembering, tremors, stiffness, muscle weakness or changes in coordination are worth discussing with a doctor.
• Protect your brain with everyday habits. Regular exercise, good sleep, a healthy diet, staying socially active and managing blood pressure and blood sugar all support brain health.
• Protect your head. Wear a helmet for cycling and contact sports, and take steps to prevent falls.
• Talk about family history. If neurodegenerative diseases run in your family, a doctor or genetic counselor can explain what that means for you.

The bottom line

Six different neurodegenerative diseases share several disrupted processes inside cells, and those patterns can be seen in blood. It’s early research, but it could lead to simpler testing and new treatment ideas.

This article is for general information and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your individual needs.

Sources

• Huseby CJ, et al. Blood RNA transcripts reveal similar and differential alterations in fundamental cellular processes in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 2022.
• News-Medical: Study explores cellular alterations in six distinct neurodegenerative diseases, 2022.