Research Projects

CADASIL, a rare disease of the small blood vessels, is caused by mutations in NOTCH3 and can cause cognitive decline leading to dementia. Vascular disease is the second most common cause of dementia with the burden set to increase with population aging. Insights into CADASIL will prove instrumental in understanding and treating the vascular...

Every year, Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects about 800,000 new patients in Europe and directly causes 50% of dependency of aged persons. Currently there is no test to diagnose this disease. There is a great need to improve outcomes for patients with lung cancer which causes between 15-28% of all cancer deaths in Europe. Chemical and structural...

Memory loss is a central symptom in different diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and represents a significant social and economic burden for a large percentage of European citizens. Neuronal cell adhesion molecules belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgCAMs) are known to be involved in brain development processes, and also contribute to...

MEMOSAD aims at defining the molecular mechanisms of Abeta- and Tau-induced synaptotoxicity and at developing disease-modifying therapeutics for the prevention of memory loss in Alzheimer disease (AD). Insoluble aggregates of the two proteins provide the pathological hallmarks of this incurable brain disorder. Early stage AD is characterized by a...

Vascular dementia and heart failure represent major health burden to morbidity, mortality and quality of life. Comorbidities (hypertension, aging, diabetes, etc.) affect all organs, but the brain and heart are especially sensitive to these chronic stresses resulting in cognitive impairment (a mental disorder) and heart failure (a non-mental...

The MEMOLOAD project will focus on the molecular and biological mechanisms underlying memory loss that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia and an enormous medical, social and economic challenge to Europe. Several lines of evidence point to accumulation of beta-amyloid peptide (Aß) in the brain as the key pathologic event in...

Amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) is a normal product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) proteolysis in the brain. While Abeta synaptotoxicity has been extensively studied as central to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, the mechanisms by which physiological Abeta regulates synapse function remain unknown. Utilizing two-photon excitation laser...

Alzheimer's disease is a disease in which specific peptides, so-called beta-amyloids, accumulate in the brain, leading to the destruction of neurons and the resulting clinical functional effects, e.g. memory and orientation problems. Discussions are ongoing as to whether or not Alzheimer's disease may be transmissible between individuals and could...

With populations ageing, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), for which there is still no cure, has become a major public health problem in Europe. This is partly due to the neglect of the role of the immune responses to the build-up of cerebral Aβ-the pathogenic agent triggering AD. Clinical trials for vaccines aimed at reducing cerebral Aβ were accompanied...

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited heart disease (prevalence 1:200 - 1:500), manifested by thickening of cardiac walls, increasing risks of arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death. HCM affects all ages - it is the leading cause of death among young athletes. Comorbidities due to gene mutations include altered vascular...

2D-BioPAD is a cost-effective, non-invasive point of care/self-testing tool for the early and accurate prognosis (assistive diagnosis) of Alzheimer's Disease, with special focus on earlier stages such as Subjective or Mild Cognitive Impairment (SCI/MCI).

Epidemiological studies have shown that leisure-time physical activity at midlife is associated with a decreased risk of dementia later in life. Although initial studies indicate enhanced behavioural performance in dementia patients after three months of exercise, little is known about the effect of an extensive, controlled and regular exercise...