With improved healthcare, the Down syndrome (DS) population is both growing and aging rapidly. However, with longevity comes a very high risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To address this issue, LuMind IDSC has launched the Longitudinal Investigation for Enhancing Down Syndrome Research (LIFE-DSR) study, a study recruiting 270 adults with DS over the age of 25. The study is designed to measure biological and cognitive changes in DS over time as people progress toward AD.
In this interim analysis (the subject of the new paper), plasma (processed blood) collected at the first clinic visit from the first 90 people in the study was analyzed by collaborators at Eli Lilly & Co. The plasma contains proteins and peptides that rise or fall in concentration as people with DS age and progress to AD. The biomarker data showed that AD progression begins at about 40 years of age which is 10 years or more before symptoms of dementia begin. These results help researchers better understand the biology of AD in DS and may help plan for clinical trials of new AD drugs.
Source: Journal of Clinical Medicine