Objective Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, which currently affects 4 million subjects in the European Union. The prevalence of AD is expected to increase substantially the next decades due to the aging population. AD severely affects the quality of life of patients and their relatives. It also poses a major burden to the health care system. Abnormalities in beta amyloid processing are a key feature of the disease. Therapeutic strategies, which modify beta amyloid processing, are currently under development. The development of these drugs, however, is hampered by the lack of accurate diagnostic criteria for AD in the early stage and the lack of potential markers of treatment response. Recent studies indicated that beta amyloid oligomers play an important role in the early pathophysiology of AD. The aim of the present project is to investigate whether beta amyloid oligomers in cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and serum can be used for the early diagnosis of AD and whether they can be used as a marker of treatment response. In it will be investigated whether genes known to be involved in beta amyloid processing influence levels of these markers.Oligomers will be measured using two techniques. The first is based on ultrasensitive immuno-polymerase chain reaction and will be developed during the project. The second is based on a combination of immunoprecipitation and ELISA and has already been developed by one of the partners. Measurements will be performed in cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and plasma samples of 100 subjects with AD, 250 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (a prodromal stage of AD), 100 subjects with other types of dementia, and 50 control subjects. In order to investigate the potential of beta amyloid oligomers to be used as marker of treatment response, cerebrospinal fluid samples and blood samples will be collected 9 and 18 months after baseline in 60 subjects with AD and 60 with mild cognitive impair Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimermedical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologypathophysiology Programme(s) FP6-LIFESCIHEALTH - Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health: Thematic Priority 1 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) LSH-2005-1.2.2-2 - Development of innovative methods for diagnosis of nervous system disorders Call for proposal FP6-2005-LIFESCIHEALTH-6 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT MEDICAL CENTRE EU contribution No data Address De Boelelaan 1117 AMSTERDAM Netherlands See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (13) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CHIMERA BIOTECH GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Kurfürstenallee 23a BREMEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data HYCULT BIOTECHNOLOGY B.V. Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Frontstraat 2A, 5405 PB UDEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ACADEMISCH MEDISCH CENTRUM/UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Meibergdreef 9 AMSTERDAM See on map Total cost No data KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET Sweden EU contribution No data Address Inst Neurotec, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Novum plan 5 HUDDINGE See on map Total cost No data ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI Greece EU contribution No data Address Administration Building - University Campus THESSALONIKI See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Belgium EU contribution No data Address Oude Markt 13 LEUVEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data RIGSHOSPITALET Denmark EU contribution No data Address Blegdamsvej 9 COPENHAGEN See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF MAASTRICHT Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Minderbroedersberg 4-6 MAASTRICHT See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ABBOTT GMBH& CO.KG Germany EU contribution No data Address Knollstraße 50 LUDWIGSHAFEN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data GREEK ASSOCIATION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS Greece EU contribution No data Address Petrou Syndica 13 THESSALONIKI See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ZENTRALINSTITUT FUER SEELISCHE GESUNDHEIT Germany EU contribution No data Address J5 MANNHEIM See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JÜLICH GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Leo Brandt Strasse JÜLICH See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data LUDWIG MAXIMILIAN UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH CLINIC OF PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY Germany EU contribution No data Address Nussbaumstr. 7 MUNICH See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data