Banner Health-led study enables global research participation without healthcare infrastructure barriers.
SUN CITY, Ariz. (Jan. 5, 2026) – A groundbreaking international study demonstrates that Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers can be accurately detected using simple finger-prick blood samples that can be collected at home and mailed to laboratories without refrigeration or prior processing.
The research, published Monday in Nature Medicine, represents the first large-scale validation of this accessible testing approach that removes geographic barriers and opens brain disease research to global populations without requiring specialized healthcare infrastructure.
This international collaboration included the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom, and was led by Nicholas Ashton, PhD, senior director of Banner’s Fluid Biomarker Program at Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City.
The DROP-AD project, conducted across seven European medical centers, successfully tested 337 participants and proved that finger-prick blood collection can accurately measure key markers of Alzheimer’s pathology and brain damage. This breakthrough enables worldwide research participation by eliminating the logistical constraints that have historically limited biomarker studies to well-resourced medical facilities.
Alzheimer’s disease is usually confirmed through brain scans or spinal fluid tests, which are invasive and expensive. Blood tests that measure biomarkers, such as p-tau217, are emerging as accurate and accessible tools for detecting Alzheimer’s disease. Although drawing blood through venipuncture (inserting a needle into a vein) is much simpler than procedures such as spinal taps or brain scans, practical hurdles remain outside of clinics, including how samples are handled and stored and whether people have access to trained staff to collect them.
“This breakthrough could fundamentally change how we conduct Alzheimer’s research by proving that the same biomarkers doctors use to detect Alzheimer’s pathology can be measured from a simple finger prick collected at home or in more remote community settings,” said Dr. Ashton. “While we’re still years away from clinical use, we’re opening doors to research that was previously impossible – studying diverse populations, conducting large-scale screening studies, and including communities that have been historically underrepresented in Alzheimer’s studies.
“Ultimately, we are moving toward a pathway of treating people for Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms emerge. If this trajectory continues, we will need innovative ways to identify eligible individuals who are not routinely presenting in clinical settings,” Dr. Ashton added. “This work represents one such approach in that direction and further validation remains.”
The study was pioneered by three prominent Alzheimer’s biomarker researchers: Dr. Ashton, and Dr. Kaj Blennow and Dr. Henrik Zetterberg, professors at the University of Gothenburg.
This research exemplifies the work of Banner Health’s Fluid Biomarker Program. The program focuses on developing and validating biological markers in bodily fluids to support early detection of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and autoimmune disorders. Through two specialized laboratories at Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, the program spans the full spectrum from biomarker discovery to clinical implementation, serving academic and industry partners worldwide.
The researchers tested a new method for detecting Alzheimer’s disease using a few drops of blood obtained from the fingertip and then dried on a card. This process was used to find proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain changes in the 337 participants.
The study found that levels of p-tau217 in finger-prick samples closely matched results from standard blood tests and were able to identify Alzheimer’s disease-related changes in spinal fluid with an accuracy of 86%. Two other markers, GFAP and NfL, were also successfully measured and showed strong agreement with traditional tests.
The University of Exeter Medical School played a pivotal role, recruiting participants from the PROTECT-UK study and serving as the only site to test self-collection capabilities. Participants successfully collected their own finger-prick samples without the guidance of study personnel after watching trained staff and receiving written instructions.
While not ready for clinical use, this breakthrough addresses critical barriers in Alzheimer’s research by enabling remote participation in studies, clinical trial recruitment and monitoring, broader population sampling for epidemiological research, and inclusion of underrepresented communities and regions with limited healthcare infrastructure.
The findings suggest that this simple technique could make large-scale studies and remote testing possible, including for people with Down syndrome, who face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and for other underserved populations.
Anne Corbett, professor in Dementia Research at the University of Exeter, said: “What excites me most is that this work makes this type of research far more accessible. We’re moving toward a future where anyone, anywhere, can contribute to advancing our understanding of brain diseases. This isn’t just a technical advancement – it’s a paradigm shift in how we conduct neuroscience research.”
“Our ongoing work will determine whether this could also be a valuable way of identifying people in the community who would benefit from more detailed diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease,” said co-author Clive Ballard, professor of Age-Related Diseases at the University of Exeter Medical School.
The method also shows promise for research applications beyond Alzheimer’s, including studies of Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and brain injuries by the detection and accurate measurement of neurofilament light, a key biomarker of neurodegeneration.
The researchers emphasize that significant additional research and validation is required before any clinical application and caution that the method is not ready for clinical use yet.
About Banner Sun Health Research Institute
Since 1986, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, part of nonprofit Banner Health, has been a leader nationally and internationally in the effort to find answers to disorders of aging including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The institute’s Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research takes laboratory discoveries to clinical trials that foster hope for new treatments. Banner Health is Arizona’s leading health care provider and largest private employer. For more information, visit bannershri.com or visit us on Facebook.
About the University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university that combines world-class research with high levels of student satisfaction. Exeter has over 30,000 students and sits within the top 15 universities in Complete University Guide 2026 and The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026, in which it was also named runner-up for sustainability. Exeter was within the top 20 universities in the Guardian University Guide 2026 and ranked in the top 200 globally in the QS World Rankings 2026. It was also University of the Year at the Social Mobility Awards 2026. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), more than 99% of our research was rated as being of international quality, and our world-leading research impact has grown by 72% since 2014, more than any other Russell Group university.
About The University of Gothenburg
The University of Gothenburg (UGOT) is one of Sweden’s largest educational institutions with extensive offerings in both education and research. The University was founded in 1891 and has more than 58,000 students and 6,800 employees.
UGOT is highly ranked, for example by The World University Rankings for Innovation, WURI Ranking 2026, and the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026, with top 50 positions globally in both.
UGOT is especially proud of Arvid Carlsson, the 2000 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering research on the signal substances of the brain. Neuroscience is a continuing strong area for the university, with an internationally leading research group in neurochemistry and several researchers among Best Neuroscience Scientists 2025/2026.