Alzheimer disease has become a major health issue in our rapidly ageing population, with one in 20 people over 65 and one in five over 85 reported patients in Europe. A figure expected to double in Western Europe and triple in Eastern Europe over the next 30 years. But, despite a better understanding of the disease molecular basis, little progress has been made so far in the diagnosis and cure.
In the framework of the EU-funded NAD project, researchers are developing tiny particles to trace and treat this neurodegenerative disease. Those multifunctional nanoparticles can more easily cross the biological barriers within the human body and reach the most affected areas. Together with the molecules attached to them, those particles could detect and remove from the brain the amyloids, protein deposits that are the characteristics of Alzheimer, and then slow down, or even stop, the neurogeneration process.
The project’s result is expected to lead to further research and a more effective approach to the disease’s treatment.
Read more in this article on the European Commission’s website