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Dynamic interplay of vascular injury and inflammation on AD progression

Project Overview

Background: As we age, our blood vessels (“vasculature”) can become damaged, leading to a lack of oxygen and nutrients being supplied to the brain. Such vascular damage can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by up to three times. The brain has specialized immune cells, called astrocytes and microglia, that regulate healthy blood flow. However, in AD, the immune cells become overactive. This immune activation can increase the formation of vascular lesions, altering blood flow. However, up to date, little attention has been given to how immune and vascular cells interact with each other to impact brain changes and, in turn, cognition in people living with AD.
Objectives: This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the impact of vascular-immune interactions on brain changes and the type of symptoms that individuals living with AD develop.
Methods: We will identify signs of vascular disease on MRI scans, and immune activation patterns on PET images and via blood samples. We will study 3 independent populations totaling 538 individuals across different disease stages. We will then analyze how vascular and immune biomarkers at the start of the study can affect the development of AD brain changes and memory problems at later time points (up to 3 years).
Impact: Targeting excessive immune reactions in the brain could slow down AD from progressing. But in order to achieve that, we first have to understand how the brain’s vascular-immune interactions impact the disease course. Our study presents a unique and more detailed picture of key and understudied mechanisms driving AD. This will open up new perspectives on the development of personalized treatment strategies targeting the interface between the vascular system, brain immune cells, and AD.

Principal Investigator

Julie Ottoy , Sunnybrook Research Institute

Partners and Donors

Alzheimer's Association

Project Ongoing

Dynamic interplay of vascular injury and inflammation on AD progression

  • Grant Type

    Capacity building grants

  • Area of research

    Neurodegeneration

  • Disease Area

    Alzheimer’s

  • Competition

    Alzheimer’s Association International Grant Program

  • Province

    Ontario

  • Start Date

    2024

  • Total Grant Amount

    $159,920

  • Health Canada Contribution

    $63,600

Contact Us

1200 McGill College Avenue
Suite 1600, Montreal, Quebec
H3B 4G7

+1 (514) 989-2989 info@braincanada.ca

Please note all online donations will receive an electronic tax receipt, issued by Brain Canada Foundation.

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Territorial acknowledgement

The offices of Brain Canada Foundation are located on the traditional, ancestral territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka Peoples, a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. We honour and pay respect to elders past, present and emerging, and dedicate ourselves to moving forward in the spirit of partnership, collaboration, and reconciliation. In our work, we focus our efforts on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly those that pertain to improving health for Indigenous Peoples and that focus on advancing our own learning on Indigenous issues.

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  • About
    • What We Do
    • EDI Action Plan
    • Leadership
    • Team
    • Annual Report
    • Publications
    • Careers
  • Brain Conditions
    • One Brain
    • ALS
    • Autism (ASD)
    • Brain Cancer
    • Brain Injury
    • Dementia
    • Epilepsy
    • Mental Illness
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Parkinson’s
    • Stroke
    • More
  • Research
    • Programs
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Program Partners
    • Announcements
  • Impact
    • Research Impact Stories
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Brain Health in Indigenous Communities
    • Women’s Brain Health
    • Mind Over Matter
  • How You Can Help
    • Ways to Give
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Workplace Giving
    • The Great Minds
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