Three CNCR teams have been awarded a research grant under the ZonMw program “promising innovative therapies for Dementia”. With these grants, and in collaboration with their partners at the Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS) and the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, the researchers will develop novel small-molecule interventions for Alzheimer’s disease.
The funded projects address several complementary therapeutic strategies. Ruud Wijdeven (Candidate center) and Iwan de Esch (VU AIMMS) focus on compounds that may block the cellular uptake of toxic APOE4, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Iwan de Esch (VU AIMMS) and Wiep Scheper (Molecular Neurodegeneration group) are working on dual inhibition of PDE4 and PDE7, with the aim of combining anti-inflammatory and cognition-supporting effects in a single therapeutic strategy. Rik van der Kant (Dementia Discovery group) is investigating whether existing drugs can reduce fibronectin levels and help protect the blood–brain barrier in APOE4 carriers.
Outside of the CNCR, a fourth collaborative project between Rob Leurs (VU AIMMS) and Elga de Vries (Amsterdam UMC, MCBI) investigates ACKR3 as a target to reduce harmful immune cell entry into the brain and limit neuroinflammation.
The awarded projects highlight the urgency for development of novel and more effective therapies for AD, and the need for cross-disciplinary approaches spanning both chemistry and biology to develop such therapies.