BioALFA · The effect of pro-aging and pro-youthful blood factors in normal ageing and Alzheimer’s disease: a multimodal approach
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2018-01-01 → 2020-01-14
- EU contribution
- €158,122
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
The effect of pro-aging and pro-youthful blood factors in normal ageing and Alzheimer’s disease: a multimodal approach
One of the most significant recent findings has been the discovery that some blood factors promote the ageing of the brain (the so-called pro-ageing blood factors) while others help to rejuvenate the brain (the so-called pro-youthful blood factors); these blood factors have been described in animal models but they have not been comprehensively studied in humans and particularly in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since one of the main risk factors for AD is aging, in the BioALFA project we measured these blood factors in a large group of volunteers, including healthy individuals and asymptomatic stages of AD. We studied whether the levels of the pro-ageing and pro-youthful blood factors are association with markers pf neurodegeneration. Our aim is to answer the question whether the pro-ageing and pro-youthful blood factors have an impact on human brain and hence be a therapeutic target in AD. AD is a public health problem at the global level due to the increase in life expectancy. It is estimated that around 45 million persons currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). To this figure, one must add the impact this disease has on the caregivers of patients, generally close relatives who take care of the patient with the consequent physical, emotional and economic burden. In countries around us, the associated cost per patient is estimated to be >30,000euro/year, which multiplied by the high prevalence of the disease represents 1.24% of the gross domestic product. Projections estimate that by 2050 the number of patients will be >130 million (ADI. World Alzheimer Report, 2015), which would represent an unbearable cost to our society. Therefore, it is extremely important to find new therapeutic targets for AD.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The overall aim of the planned research is to test whether pro-aging and pro-youthful blood factors are associated with cognitive performance and neuroimaging outcomes in normal ageing and in individuals at risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and whether this association is modified by lifestyle habits (e.g. exercise or diet) or genetic factors. Ageing is the most important risk factor for AD. However, the exact mechanism that link ageing and AD is still unknown and, up to now, potential therapies for AD by targeting ageing have been poorly explored. Thus, in the present project we aim to provide a better understanding of the link between ageing and AD by measuring in human blood those factors that have been found to be ‘pro-youthful’ (GDF-11) or ‘pro-aging’ (CCL2, CCL11 and CCL19) in experimental animal models, but have not been comprehensively studied in humans. For these purposes, we will first develop novel and highly specific and sensitive assays based on the state-of-the-art Simoa platform. Next, we will measure these factors in the participants of the ALFA (Alzheimer and Families) study, which is currently taking place in the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Centre (BBRC), the host institution of this project. The ALFA cohort is composed of 2743 cognitively healthy individuals (45 to 75 years old) from which comprehensive clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, genetic and environmental and lifestyle factors data are already available. Measurements will be performed in two steps: a training cohort and a validation cohort. Finally, we will investigate the association of the levels of the pro-aging/pro-youthful blood factors with features known to be related to AD such as clinical and life-style variables, neuroimaging outcomes and signatures and genetic variables. Altogether, the results of this project will clarify whether those blood pro-aging or pro-youthful factors may become potential therapeutic targets in AD.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- FUNDACIO BARCELONABETA BRAIN RESEARCH CENTER · BarcelonaCoordinatorSpain
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/752310
- https://www.barcelonabeta.org/en/alzheimer-research/studies/bioalfa
Data: CORDIS, © European Union