2013 Grants - Rosa-Neto

In Vivo Quantification of Biomarker Progression on the APP-RAT Model

Pedro Rosa-Neto, M.D., Ph.D.
Douglas Hospital Research Center
Montreal, Québec, Canada

2013 New Investigator Research Grant

In recent years, scientists have made much progress toward detecting early signs of Alzheimer's disease before brain function begins to decline. Much of this progress has relied on the use of brain imaging and measurement of components in the cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that surrounds nerve cells in the brain and spinal column. The results obtained by these methods will identify indicators, or "biomarkers," that can indicate the presence and progression of the disease. Despite progress in the development of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, the changes in such biomarkers that occur during disease progression have not been thoroughly characterized.

Pedro Rosa-Neto, Ph.D., and colleagues have proposed to study biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and how they change over time in rats that have been genetically altered to have an Alzheimer's-like disease. The researchers will perform multiple brain imaging studies using positron emission tomography (PET) to observe amyloid plaques and monitor brain function. They will also collect cerebrospinal fluid and analyze it for chemical biomarkers of disease. Each animal will be studied multiple times, beginning before the disease becomes evident and continuing through the onset and progression of disease. These studies will improve our understanding of how biomarkers can be used to detect and diagnose disease, and they will provide valuable information about how biomarkers change during disease progression.