Plasma eMTBR-Tau Measurement for Tau Tangle Pathology Research
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles. While established blood biomarkers such as pTau 217 provide valuable information about early Alzheimer’s-associated pathology, researchers increasingly need complementary biomarkers that reflect the later accumulation of aggregated tau.
eMTBR-Tau is an emerging Core 2 biomarker associated with neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology. Because it captures different biological information than early-changing, amyloid-associated biomarkers, plasma eMTBR-Tau may help researchers investigate biological disease stage, progression, and the relationship between tau pathology and clinical outcomes.
The SPEAR TrueDetect™ eMTBR-Tau Assay enables focused and quantitative measurement of this emerging biomarker through a scalable immunoassay workflow, expanding access beyond centralized mass spectrometry testing and complex imaging-based approaches.
Plasma eMTBR-Tau Elevation in Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease
Early customer testing demonstrated a marked increase in plasma eMTBR-Tau among samples from individuals with advanced Alzheimer’s disease pathology, corresponding to Braak stages IV–VI as determined by tau PET or post-mortem neuropathology.
This separation is consistent with the biological relevance of eMTBR-Tau as a later-changing biomarker associated with accumulated tau tangle pathology. It supports further investigation of plasma eMTBR-Tau in:
- Biological staging research
- Advanced-disease cohort characterization
- Longitudinal studies of tau accumulation
- Tau-targeted therapeutic development
- Studies comparing plasma biomarkers with tau PET and neuropathology
To learn more, register for our upcoming webinar:
Introducing SPEAR epTau 217 and eMTBR-Tau: Dissecting Alzheimer’s pathologies from early Tau phosphorylation to Tau tangles featuring Dr. Nicholas Ashton, Senior Director, Fluid Biomarker Program, Banner Health
Frequently Asked Questions
An eMTBR-Tau assay measures an extracellular tau fragment containing part of the microtubule-binding region of tau. Plasma eMTBR-Tau is an emerging biomarker associated with neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology in Alzheimer’s disease.
Plasma eMTBR-Tau provides information associated with accumulated neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology. As a later-changing biomarker, it may complement biomarkers that are more closely associated with early amyloid-related changes.
eMTBR-Tau is being investigated as an emerging Core 2 biomarker. Core 2 biomarkers reflect later-changing Alzheimer’s disease processes, including accumulated tau pathology, and may provide information relevant to biological disease staging and progression.
pTau 217 is an early-changing biomarker closely associated with amyloid pathology and is commonly used to investigate the presence of Alzheimer’s disease biology. eMTBR-Tau is associated more directly with accumulated neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology and may provide complementary information about later disease stages.
Because eMTBR-Tau and pTau 217 reflect different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease biology, measuring them together may provide a more complete picture of the disease continuum. pTau 217 can help characterize early Alzheimer’s-associated pathology, while eMTBR-Tau can provide additional information related to tau tangle accumulation and advanced disease.
Yes. Plasma eMTBR-Tau is being investigated as a blood biomarker associated with neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology. It can be evaluated alongside tau PET, neuropathology, CSF biomarkers, and other blood biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease research.
