Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. Alzheimer's disease is believed to occur when abnormal amounts of amyloid beta, accumulating extracellularly as amyloid plaques, and tau proteins, accumulating intracellularly as neurofibrillary tangles, form in the brain affecting neuronal functioning and connectivity, resulting in a progressive loss of brain function. Only 1–2% of Alzheimer's cases are inherited (autosomal dominant). Most cases of Alzheimer's are not inherited and are termed sporadic Alzheimer's disease, in which environmental and genetic differences may act as risk factors.

The amyloid hypothesis traditionally points to the accumulation of beta-amyloid peptides as the central event triggering neuron degeneration. Accumulation of aggregated amyloid fibrils, which are believed to be the toxic form of the protein responsible for disrupting the cell's calcium ion homeostasis, induces programmed cell death (apoptosis). It is also known that A_β selectively builds up in the mitochondria in the cells of Alzheimer's-affected brains, and it also inhibits certain enzyme functions and the utilisation of glucose by neurons. Various inflammatory processes and cytokines may also have a role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Inflammation is a general marker of tissue damage in any disease, and may be either secondary to tissue damage in Alzheimer's disease or a marker of an immunological response. Alterations in the distribution of different neurotrophic factors and in the expression of their receptors such as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been described in Alzheimer's disease.

CD ComputaBio offers comprehensive computational neurology services. Our group applies computational methods to study changes in motivation, memory and decision-making that occur in neurological disease. We combine pharmacological experiments to apply mathematical models to disease research problems. We also have multiple resources including academic research and preclinical works in the identification of a suitable disease target and its corresponding hit.