The PRIME project (Prevention and Remediation of Insulin Multimorbidity in Europe) was launched in early 2020, aiming to unravel the insulin-dependent mechanisms that link diseases such as type 2 diabetes with brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and compulsivity disorders. Including 17 partners from academia, SMEs and NGOs, PRIME is using a broad range of preclinical, clinical and data-driven approaches to understand how insulin signalling might be involved in these brain disorders.
On 31 May, PRIME convened a meeting of its Steering Committee, composed of researchers leading the 8 different workpackages of PRIME. Members of the Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board also attended the meeting, with representation from Alzheimer Europe and the International Diabetes Federation-Europe. During the meeting, each workpackage (WP) lead provided an update on progress towards milestones and deliverables, also identifying areas with challenges that need to be addressed. All WPs are making good progress, despite the complexities of undertaking research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PRIME clinical study has started recruiting participants with Romano-Ward syndrome, a condition linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Academic groups in Hungary, Italy and Germany are studying stem cell and animal models of type 2 diabetes and AD, while researchers in Denmark are analysing large clinical datasets to decipher the genetic links between metabolic and brain disorders. PRIME has also been developing materials to increase engagement of patient communities with the project, including webinars and information packs, and has also created an internal mentoring scheme to support the career development of junior researchers working on PRIME.
