BIOMARKAPD is a multi-national research project comprising 51 sites in 21 countries, including Ireland. This JPND (Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative Diseases) funded collaborative research project aims to develop optimally informative biomarkers for AD and PD and the harmonisation of their use. The Irish strand of BIOMARKPD aims to; standardise biomarker measurement and interpretation nationally; develop and make available a CSF test for ND biomarkers in AD and PD; Establish and sustain a registry of ND; and bring clarity to biomarker interpretation to support diagnosis.
Research
DRNI Members Research is a list of ongoing and completed research carried out by DRNI members.
You can search via project type, disease, or Principal Investigator/Researcher name.
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One promising approach for the treatment of PD is cellular brain repair whereby the cells that have died in the condition are replaced by transplantation of healthy cells into the brain. However, this approach has faced several limitations including poor survival of the transplanted cells in the PD brain. To address this limitation, we have recently shown that biomaterials - that is, materials that have been specifically engineered to interact with living systems for therapeutic purposes – have the potential to dramatically improve cellular brain repair for PD.
BrainMatTrain focuses on a comprehensive understanding of Parkinson’s disease, from basics to translation, fully supported by eight full partners (four research institutions, two hospitals, two SMEs) and one partner organisation (SME specialist in device design). This European Training Network will educate and train 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in functionalised biomaterials, materials science, functionalisation strategies, molecular biology, stem cell biology, in vitro model systems, in vivo neuroimaging, preclinical models and prototype design.
Mounting evidence suggests that dietary caffeine intake may exert some beneficial effects in reducing dementia risk and possibly Alzheimer’s disease, and may be a viable therapeutic approach. Clinical studies also suggest that caffeine is a cognitive normalizer and not a cognitive enhancer. Moreover, some clinical studies suggest the neuroprotective effect of caffeine might be confounded by gender.
1. Overview of Research Plans.
This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of CS-ADL (Cognitive Stimulation in Activities of Daily Living). CS-ADL is an occupational therapist-led, group cognitive stimulation program for people living with mild-to-moderate dementia that aims to enhance their functional performance, alongside their social and cognitive functioning.
The aim is to evaluate the utility of a Connected Health model in supporting people with dementia and their carergivers in sustaining the patient at home. We propose that the CH model allows enhanced information- sharing between patient, carergiver and healthcare team, enabling streamlined clinical management, empowering the caregiver and enhancing the ability of the caregiver/patient dyad to cope.
Project Aim(s):
(i) To Identify tiRNA/sncRNA fingerprints in AD, ALS, FTD and PD human disease i-neurons.
(ii) To determine if tiRNAs affect the survival of i-neurons from controls and ALS, PD and FTD models.