EmTheraPro has developed an innovative blood test to accurately detect Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Related Dementias (ADRD). Current blood tests for Alzheimer's measure a protein called pTau-217, which indicates brain amyloid buildup. However, these tests have limitations - they require two cutoff points creating an "indeterminate" range where diagnosis is unclear, and often need confirmation with more invasive spinal fluid tests or expensive brain scans.

EmTheraPro's approach uses advanced mass spectrometry to measure multiple proteins in blood that are linked to various brain changes in Alzheimer's. Their technique analyzes over 5,500 proteins simultaneously from just 40 microliters of blood (less than a drop). The company has identified specific protein panels that not only improve amyloid detection but also measure other important disease processes including synaptic function, vascular health, inflammation, and metabolism.

In preliminary studies using samples from Emory University's Alzheimer's Research Center, EmTheraPro's protein panel demonstrated remarkable accuracy. It achieved near-perfect performance (98.6% accuracy) in identifying early mild cognitive impairment cases where current pTau-217 tests struggle (only 64% accuracy). Importantly, the test can also identify cognitive impairment in people without amyloid buildup - these "ADRD" cases typically go undiagnosed by standard Alzheimer's tests.

This grant will fund validation of EmTheraPro's technology in the BioHermes study, which includes 1,000 participants with various cognitive states (healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer's). The study will confirm if their protein panels can accurately detect amyloid-positive cases, resolve indeterminate cases that confound current tests, and diagnose cognitive impairment not caused by amyloid.

If successful, EmTheraPro plans to commercialize this as a laboratory-developed test, potentially partnering with diagnostic companies. This technology could significantly advance Alzheimer's diagnosis by providing a simple blood test that offers more comprehensive information about disease processes, enabling earlier and more personalized treatment approaches