Alzheimer’s: New Blood Test Detects Early Signs Through Protein Folding Analysis
New Delhi – An AI-integrated blood biomarker test, recently launched by Mahajan Imaging & Labs, offers a potential breakthrough in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition affecting an estimated 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above, according to experts.
The test, approved by both the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), analyzes plasma samples for changes related to Alzheimer’s pathology, potentially years before the onset of noticeable cognitive symptoms. Until recently, such biomarker testing required invasive cerebrospinal fluid samples.
“Early and accurate diagnosis is the cornerstone of effective Alzheimer’s care,” said Prof. VS Mehta, Padma Shri awardee and Chairman Emeritus-Neurosciences, Paras Health, Gurgaon, at the launch event on January 19, 2026. He previously served as Head of Neurosurgery and Chief of Neurosciences at AIIMS, New Delhi.
The new diagnostic approach combines the pTAU/Aβ1-42 blood biomarker test with structured PET and MRI imaging, offered under Mahajan Imaging & Labs’ Dementia Diagnostic Series. The pTAU/Aβ1-42 test detects biological changes associated with Alzheimer’s, while the imaging component provides further diagnostic clarity.
The growing need for such tools is underscored by projections that the number of people living with dementia in India will nearly double in the next decade. The test’s development comes as researchers increasingly recognize that Alzheimer’s involves a broader failure of proteostasis – the system responsible for maintaining properly folded proteins – rather than solely the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins.
Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute, US, have too published findings in the journal Nature Aging suggesting that structural differences in plasma proteins, rather than simply their amounts, may serve as early indicators of Alzheimer’s. Their analysis of over 500 individuals identified changes in three proteins – C1QA (involved in immune signalling), clusterin (involved in protein folding and amyloid removal), and apolipoprotein B (which transports fats in the bloodstream) – that correlated with disease stage.
The structural changes identified were more informative than measuring protein concentrations alone, according to the study. The proteins became less structurally “open” as the disease progressed.
Dr. Dangs Lab also offers an Alzheimer’s diagnosis service in Delhi, utilizing digital cognitive tests and blood biomarkers, according to their website.
Mahajan Imaging & Labs hosted a scientific symposium on January 18, 2026, in Gurugram, bringing together over 40 neurologists and imaging experts to discuss the integration of next-generation blood biomarkers with PET brain imaging. The symposium was moderated by Dr Sumit Singh, Chief of Neurology, Artemis Hospital.