From ApoE biology to validated Alzheimer’s disease targets

The scope is to identify critical mechanism(s) by which ApoE4 leads to the development of AD to build the basis for future development of treatment approaches and supporting biomarkers for ApoE4-positive patients. Research will seek to understand how ApoE4 leads to AD and not how ApoE4 might fit into the Aβ hypothesis.

Apolipoprotein E ε4 (ApoE4) is the most prominent Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) susceptibility gene but its link with disease pathology is understudied. The molecular basis of ApoE4 pathology is also uncertain and there is no clear rationale yet how to modulate ApoE4 as a treatment approach for AD.

Disease modifying treatments for AD are currently not available. The clarification of the nature of the ApoE4-related liability in AD and the identification of novel methods for targeting such liability will represent critical steps towards development of more effective AD treatments to achieve disease modification in this large patient population.