University of Pittsburgh-led work reports clinically usable blood protein cutoffs for emergency identification of intracranial pathology in traumatic brain injury patients, including cases not detected by CT. The research centers on GFAP and UCH-L1 blood concentrations and proposes thresholds intended to support earlier triage. The approach targets a critical ED gap: CT sensitivity limitations, particularly for mild injury and early presentations where imaging may not yet show clear lesions. For diagnostics developers and clinical labs, the key advantage is operational—blood tests can be faster and more scalable than imaging, but require careful standardization across assays. Next steps: multi-center evaluation, assay harmonization, and prospective trials to confirm that acting on the cutoffs improves outcomes.