University of Rhode Island Wins Grant to Study Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Prevalent in Alzheimer’s Patients
The University of Rhode Island $1.5 million grant is part of a $9 million five-year Transatlantic Networks of Excellence grant from the Leducq Foundation. The initiative is known as TRAFFIC. The post University of Rhode Island Wins Grant to Study Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Prevalent in Alzheimer’s Patients appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
The University of Rhode Island (URI) has secured a $1.5 million grant to investigate cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a condition that often occurs in older adults and is frequently observed in those with Alzheimer's disease. CAA involves the abnormal accumulation of amyloid-beta protein within the brain's blood vessels, which can lead to weakened vessels over time, raising the risk of brain hemorrhages, stroke, and cognitive decline.
CAA is challenging to diagnose accurately and currently has no targeted treatments. William Van Nostrand, PhD, co-executive director of the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience at URI, highlighted that while the disease is widespread, there are no reliable early-stage biomarkers or disease-modifying therapies available.
The grant is part of a $9 million five-year Transatlantic Networks of Excellence project called TRAFFIC (Translational Framework For Innovation in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy) funded by the Leducq Foundation. This initiative aims to uncover disease mechanisms, discover early-stage biomarkers, and pinpoint potential therapeutic targets.
At URI, Van Nostrand's team will examine why CAA develops in individuals and how specific risk factors might heighten the likelihood of brain bleeding, using an animal model at the university that replicates human CAA.
The project is set to commence in January 2027, with Van Nostrand collaborating with researchers from Harvard Medical School, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute in Spain, and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg in Germany. Since 2024, Van Nostrand has also led another Leducq Foundation-funded project examining disruptions in brain waste clearance mechanisms that contribute to the biological processes underlying CAA development.
Van Nostrand expressed optimism, stating that the support from these competitive and prestigious transatlantic grants will provide valuable insights into the disease, potentially leading to improved diagnostic tools and the development of disease-modifying therapies.
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