A single MRI scan of the brain could be enough to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research by Imperial College London.
The research uses machine learning technology to look at structural features within the brain, including in regions not previously associated with Alzheimer’s. The advantage of the technique is its simplicity and the fact that it can identify the disease at an early stage when it can be very difficult to diagnose.

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, getting a diagnosis quickly at an early stage helps patients. It allows them to access help and support, get treatment to manage their symptoms and plan for the future. Being able to accurately identify patients at an early stage of the disease will also help researchers to understand the brain changes that trigger the disease, and support development and trials of new treatments.

The research is published in the Nature Portfolio Journal, Communications Medicine,andfunded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting over half a million people in the UK. Although most people with Alzheimer’s disease develop it after the age of 65, people under this age can develop it too. The most frequent symptoms of dementia are memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem solving and language.

Lo studio pre-clinico pubblicato dalla prestigiosa rivista internazionale Gut dimostra come PI3K-C2γ giochi un ruolo chiave nello sviluppo di uno dei tumori attualmente più aggressivi.

 Un nuovo studio preclinico, svolto al Centro di Biotecnologie Molecolari “Guido Tarone” dell’Università di Torino, ha reso possibile la scoperta di una nuova terapia focalizzata per un sottogruppo di pazienti affetti da neoplasia maligna del pancreas. Il gruppo di ricerca guidato dalla Prof.ssa Miriam Martini e dal Prof. Emilio Hirsch ha dimostrato che la proteina PI3K-C2γ gioca un ruolo chiave nello sviluppo del tumore al pancreas. L'indagine scientifica ha permesso di far luce sui meccanismi di sviluppo di questo tumore e potrebbe consentire, in futuro, di massimizzare l’efficacia delle attuali opzioni terapeutiche di uno dei tumori attualmente più aggressivi.