UCL has collaborated with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to research the role of inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
The study will use PET scans to look at the pattern of activation of a particular kind of brain cells called microglia. Microglia help maintain normal brain function and help prevent neuro-inflammation. Previous research has shown that fully functioning microglia can prevent neurodegeneration.
The two-year-study will look at the prevalence and pattern of microglia cells in the central nervous system of 20 UCLH patients with early-stage Alzheimer's or mild Alzheimer's.
The researchers, led by BRC/BRU supported Dr Cath Mummery hope to define biomarkers of microglia activation and their changes over time. This should provide crucial information for developing clinical trials of therapies that target neuro-inflammation. The study will be performed at the Leonard Wolfson Centre for Experimental Neuroscience, which is led by Dr Vincenzo Libri, who is also co-Principal Investigator on the study.
Dr Mummery, Consultant Neurologist and Clinical Trials Lead at the UCL Dementia Research Centre, said: “This is a very exciting new direction. The insights into the role of microglial activation provided by the study will facilitate the development of reliable central and peripheral clinical markers of inflammation early on in Alzheimer's disease, potentially providing tools to assess the impact of drugs on a new therapeutic target”.
Dr Michael Hayden, Teva President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer, said: “A greater understanding of the role of brain inflammation in early disease may lead to development of better biomarkers that could better inform therapeutic studies and potentially open the door to new therapeutic options.”
