Research Projects

The neuronal membrane is the target of specific molecular interactions involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The 2 hallmarks of the disease, extracellular amyloid β plaques and intracellular Tau neurofibrillatory tangles, are inherently linked to the membrane, as this biointerface induces and influences amyloid fibrillation...

Dementia raises complex challenges for people with dementia, their families, and society. The European Parliament has called for investment in high quality, innovative technology research to improve dementia care but so far there has been little benefit because research has generally been limited, small scale and methodologically flawed. In...

The current research proposes new optical spectroscopic and interferometric microscopy and nanoscopy techniques for accurate measurements and visualization of biological cell structure, organization, stiffness and dynamics by recording the cell spatial, temporal, and refractive-index structure on sub-wavelength and sub-Hertz scales. The following...

The overall aim is to further the understanding of the BBB in health and disease states towards the development of innovative brain delivery systems, especially for biopharmaceuticals (e.g., peptides, antibodies, etc.) and the identification of novel disease drug targets (Alzheimer’s Disease, MS, metabolic disease).

The related key deliverables...

As the number of older people in Europe grows, increasing healthy life years is a priority. Cognitive decline, dementia (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, AD), sleep disturbances and depression, all related to psychological distress and anxiety, are significant drivers of reduced quality of life in older adults. This project builds on evidence that...

The number of people with Alzheimer’s disorder (AD) and other dementia is expected to triple worldwide by 2050. To tackle the global burden of AD, the European Parliament acknowledges and points to the urgent need to develop interventions that can prevent or delay AD. The locus coeruleus (LC) in the brainstem plays a key role in determining late...

In our everyday life, we ascribe certain emotional value to some objects. More specifically, we ascribe a valence to some objects, which is the degree to which something can be pleasurable or averse, leading to an emotional response when we interact or remember them. In the act of learning and remembering an object, the brain executes a complex set...

Beta-amyloid peptide, a component of senile plaques and generated by proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), is a key factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). Beta-amyloid peptide has been shown to influence negatively some important mitochondrial activities such as reducing the efficiency of ATP-production via...

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...

The conversion of normally soluble and functional proteins into insoluble protein aggregates known as amyloids are linked to more than 50 human disorders, including several common forms of age-related dementia such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Amyloids exist as long, rope-like structures known as fibrils which can self-associate into...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative condition affecting 50 million people worldwide. To date, no disease modifying therapy for AD is available. Neuroinflammation is emerging as an important component of the disease. A recent GWAS analysis identified a rare protective coding mutation (P522A) in the PLCG2 (Phospholipase C...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, a syndrome characterized by loss of memory and cognitive decline. AD has a dramatic socio-economical impact that is foreseen to worsen in the near future unless a cure is found. The pathology is triggered by the accumulation of Aβ oligomers that begins a cascade...