Amaya Hernández-Vega, a senior researcher at IBEC, will lead one of the two projects selected in the 2024 call for proposals from the Pasqual Maragall Research Programme, which is dedicated to funding research into Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. IBEC also celebrates the participation of Jordi Duran, an associate researcher from the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology group, who will collaborate on the second selected project.
The Pasqual Maragall Researchers Programme (PMRP) of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation funds excellent translational and clinical research projects on Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
The two projects selected for the 2024 edition, supported by the Adey Foundation, have recently been announced. Notably, both projects involve staff from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).
A study of tau in its early stages
On the one hand, Amayra Hernández-Vega, senior researcher in IBEC’s Molecular Bionics group, will lead the MAPtoAD project: Study of Tau in the initial phase of its transition from microtubule-associated protein to solid fibres for the early treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).The study will focus on the initial phase of the transition of the tau protein from its microtubule-associated state to solid fibres, with the aim of developing an early treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
For decades, Alzheimer’s research has focused primarily on the symptomatic stages of the disease. Support for this project reflects the Foundation’s pioneering vision, representing a paradigm shift in therapeutic strategy.
Amayra Hernández-Vega
The project will focus on the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, when the tau protein — which plays a crucial role in neuronal structure — undergoes a behavioural change and forms pathological aggregates. In collaboration with Dr Natalia Rodríguez-Muela from the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the team will develop in vitro and human models of familial Alzheimer’s disease to identify age-related triggers and inhibitors of this transition. The aim is to design early intervention strategies before clinical symptoms appear.
“For decades, Alzheimer’s research has focused primarily on the symptomatic stages of the disease. Support for this project reflects the Foundation’s pioneering vision, representing a paradigm shift in therapeutic strategy,” adds Amayra Hernández-Vega.
Selective recognition of astrocytes
Meanwhile, Jordi Duran, a principal investigator and associate professor at the IQS-URL, will be collaborating on the STAR-AD project: Selective Recognition of Astrocytes: Metabolic Reprogramming in Alzheimer’s Disease, which is led by Professor Maite Solas of the University of Navarra (UNAV). Although IBEC is not directly involved in this project, it welcomes the involvement of Duran, who is a researcher associated with IBEC’s Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology group.
The project will focus on understanding how astrocytes — cells that are essential for proper brain function — modify their metabolism in the context of Alzheimer’s disease, and how these changes affect key processes such as insulin signalling and glycogen storage. The team will investigate whether interfering with these metabolic pathways could slow the progression of the disease or even reverse it in its early stages.
IBEC’s participation in such projects highlights its strong commitment to researching neurodegenerative diseases. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the institute strives to comprehend the underlying mechanisms of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that enhance the quality of life of patients and their families.
Further information about the project is available on the Pasqual Maragall Foundation website.
