More than 90% of people with Down syndrome will develop Alzheimer’s disease by the time they are in their early to mid-60s. Clinical research at UNT Health Fort Worth will help scientists better understand the disease in people with Down syndrome and what causes it, aiding them in developing treatment options.
Understanding the Connection
People living with Down syndrome have an additional 21st chromosome. Genes within the 21st chromosome tell the body how to produce the amyloid precursor protein, and due to this, production of amyloid protein is increased in individuals with Down syndrome. Buildup of amyloid in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, is associated with nerve cell death and resulting memory loss and functional changes.
The clinical research is part of a larger effort funded by the National Institutes of Health, called the Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome, or ABC-DS, study. UNT Health is one of 11 other clinical sites, or those that work with people as participants. UNT Health is the first clinical site in Texas.
UNT Health will enroll 45 total participants at its clinical site, according to Melissa Petersen, the associate professor who will lead the research at UNT Health. The researchers will study the physical characteristics and function of participants’ brains through interviews, medical exams, memory and thinking assessments, PET scans and MRIs. Participants will be asked to bring a family member or caregiver, called a study partner, who will be interviewed about the participant as well.
Qualifying participants in the study could also join what is called a trial-ready cohort — a group of people who can be contacted and enroll more quickly in clinical trials for new treatments because information about their health has already been collected. People with Down syndrome have historically been excluded from clinical trials, but that has been challenged as they have been the focus of studies and have advocated for their own participation, Petersen said.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
