What's next?
Each partner in the consortium has outlined their next steps, which collectively contribute to advancing our knowledge and capabilities in combating this complex disease. These next steps reflect the consortium's commitment to advancing research on AD through collaboration, innovation, and the pursuit of new insights and capabilities.
What will each partner aim to do next?
VIB aims to complete the analysis of RNAseq data to discern the impact of genetic heterogeneity on microglia transcriptome and function. They plan to integrate genotype information with microglia RNA profiles and expand collaborations to enhance analysis capabilities. Additionally, they will link in vivo and in vitro data to predict microglia function for individual patients, fostering the development of novel treatments.
KU Leuven will focus on developing gene set-specific polygenic risk scores (PRS) to stratify AD patients into molecular subgroups. They will calculate PRS for related phenotypes and associate them with clinical outcomes. Moreover, they aim to refine the PRS pipeline and make it publicly accessible, facilitating broader research in the field.
reMYND’s plans includes conducting larger in vivo studies using chimeric models to demonstrate capabilities to potential clients. Discussions are ongoing for in vivo studies targeting human microglial proteins for new biotech companies. reMYND gained expertise in modeling AD in vivo and in vitro, enhancing its visibility as a contract research organization (CRO).
imec aims to acquire larger datasets through more repetitions, allowing for the extraction of qualitative data to identify correlations with PRS. Further optimization of experimental setups is planned to increase data quality and improve the MEA setup, contributing to advancements in AD research.
For ONTOFORCE, insights gained from academic research related to AD have informed the identification of crucial association data and scores. This knowledge can be extended to other indications, benefiting research and development in various areas. Additionally, experience with data ingestion from reMYND enhances understanding and potential use cases within the R&D/early clinical development space.
Since PRS, on its own, will be limited in its usability due to its static nature, HICT will investigate the potential impact of combining PRS with more dynamic measures, such as biomarkers, transcriptomics, or epigenomics, to bring extra insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of AD and support the identification of valuable disease modyfing treatments.
These next steps reflect the consortium's commitment to advancing research on AD through collaboration, innovation, and the pursuit of new insights and capabilities.