AddNeuroMed—The European Collaboration for the Discovery of Novel Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

There is an urgent need for Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers-especially in the context of clinical trials. Biomarkers for early diagnosis, disease progression, and prediction are most critical, and disease-modification therapy development may depend on the discovery and validation of such markers. AddNeuroMed is a cross European, public/private consortium developed for AD biomarker discovery. We report here the development and design of AddNeuroMed and the progress toward the development of plasma markers. Despite the obstacles to such markers, we have identified a range of markers including CFH and A2M, both of which have been independently replicated. The experience of AddNeuroMed leads us to three overall conclusions. First, collaboration is essential. Second, design is paramount and combining modalities, such as imaging and proteomics, may be informative. Third, animal models are valuable in biomarker research. Most importantly, we have learned that plasma markers are feasible.

Quantitative MRI Brain Studies in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: A Methodological Review

“…The cross-sectional MRI data in young, middle aged, nondemented and demented older adults and the longitudinal MRI data in non-demented and demented older adults. AddNeuroMed [21] is a cross European, public/private consortium developed for AD biomarker discovery. It combines modalities and it uses animal models in biomarker research.…”

Measuring Global Brain Atrophy with the Brain Volume/Cerebrospinal Fluid Index: Normative Values, Cut-Offs and Clinical Associations

“…The MCI patients were classified as MCI converters (n = 79) if they fulfilled diagnostic criteria of AD at the 1-year follow-up (MCI-C), or as MCI stable cases (n = 329) if they remained stable (MCI-S). Subjects were recruited from two different cohorts: the AddNeuroMed study (n = 330) [31] and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study (n = 679) [32]. AddNeuroMed is part of the InnoMed European Union FP6 programme and was designed to develop and validate novel surrogate markers in AD.…”

Biogerontology in Finland

“…Also the Department of Neurology led by Hilkka Soininen and Tuula Pirttilä (deceased) has been very active in the research of molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer disease, also within European collabaration (Sarajärvi et al 2010;Lovestone et al 2009). They have recently introduced a transgenic mouse carrying a specific human tau mutation (Korhonen et al 2010).…”