Alamar, Nightingale Health Team up on UK Biobank Neurodegeneration Protein Study
Nightingale Health will run the measurements in its labs using Alamar’s NULISA platform to quantify hundreds of blood proteins in 80,000 UK Biobank samples, seeking early molecular signs of neurodegeneration. The post Alamar, Nightingale Health Team up on UK Biobank Neurodegeneration Protein Study appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
Alamar Biosciences and Nightingale Health have collaborated on a groundbreaking study set to analyze a vast dataset of 80,000 blood samples from the UK Biobank. The project, dubbed UKB-PRISM, aims to identify proteins that could flag neurodegeneration years before symptoms manifest. This collaboration, announced on November 2, 2026, is backed by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Alzheimer's Research UK, and LifeArc, with a completion target of late 2027.
The study will utilize Nightingale's NULISA platform, a highly sensitive assay that tags antibodies with DNA oligonucleotides to capture target proteins. This process filters out background noise, allowing for accurate quantification of hundreds of circulating proteins. NULISA's innovative capture-and-release mechanism significantly enhances signal clarity, enabling the detection of scarce biomarkers.
Proteins play crucial roles in repairing tissue, regulating inflammation, and supporting various bodily functions. However, their collective impact on brain health remains underexplored. By analyzing a massive dataset across thousands of participants, researchers hope to gain insights into the early biological markers of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Both conditions affect millions worldwide and are projected to become more prevalent by 2050.
Yuling Luo, founder, CEO, and chair of Alamar, emphasized the potential of this partnership, stating that the study will provide researchers with a novel approach to understanding the onset and progression of these debilitating diseases. Adam Lewandowski, deputy chief scientist at UK Biobank, highlighted the importance of proteins in tissue repair, inflammation regulation, and overall health, noting the limited current understanding of their role in brain health.
Samantha Hutten, PhD, principal biomarker scientist at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, sees the data as a stepping stone for identifying potential biomarkers and guiding future therapeutic research. LifeArc's CEO, Sam Barrell, stressed the resource's capacity to refine the diagnosis of rare dementias, which often share symptoms with other conditions, leading to misdiagnosis and delayed interventions.
Once completed, the comprehensive dataset will be made accessible to global researchers through UK Biobank's Research Analysis Platform, marking a significant stride toward personalized prevention and early intervention strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
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