Patent Document ID: 9758830
Application ID: 14491996
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for evaluating and/or diagnosing a human subject as having Alzheimer's disease (AD), comprising: a) obtaining a test buccal cell sample from the subject having AD, the obtaining the test buccal cell sample comprising swabbing the inside of the cheek of the subject to collect buccal cells and smearing the buccal cells on a microscope slide; b) assaying the test buccal cell sample using three-dimensional quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (3D q-FISH) to determine a test buccal cell sample telomere organization signature, the assaying comprising: i. nuclear staining the test buccal cell sample by hybridizing the test buccal cell sample with a labelled probe, ii. mounting the test buccal cell sample using an antifade mounting medium, iii. 3D imaging the test buccal cell sample, and iv. measuring on the 3D image values for telomere parameters, the telomere parameters comprising average number of telomere aggregates, average telomere length and average telomere number to obtain the test buccal cell sample telomere organization signature; c) comparing the test buccal cell sample telomere organization signature to one or more predetermined reference telomere organization signatures, each reference telomere organization signature comprising a control and/or values for the telomere parameters; and d) evaluating and/or diagnosing the subject as having AD or likely to develop AD, when i. an increase in average number of telomere aggregates, ii. an increase in average telomere number and iii. a decrease in average telomere length in the test buccal cell sample telomere organization signature compared to a reference telomere organization signatures is detected.