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3. SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
3.1. Overview
Since January 18, 2006, by virtue of an agreement Result of the parallel development of both biologi-
signed with the Queen Sofia Foundation, the CIEN cal and clinical aspects has given rise to concepts
Foundation manages the Alzheimer's Project Rese- such as translational research in medicine. This is at
arch Unit (UIPA). The UIPA was promoted by Queen the core of the scientific activity at the CIEN Foun-
Sofia Foundation within the framework of a larger dation: moving progress made in basic research to
project, namely the Alzheimer Complex, located in the clinical setting. This requires establishing com-
Vallecas and consisting of a Residence for patients munication links to help focus and capitalize on ef-
with Alzheimer's and related diseases, a day-care forts.
outpatient Hospital and a Teaching Unit, in addition
to the Research Unit itself. The UIPA began operating 3.2. Departmental Structure
in April 2007, while the healthcare activities started
at full capacity during the second half of 2007. The scientific activity of UIPA is structured around four
complementary research areas:
Since then, the UIPA has set up four departments
with different functions. Among others, they aim at • Multidisciplinary Support Unit (UMA)
processing and managing biological samples, stud- • Department of Neuroimaging
ying such tissues or conducting neuroimaging rese- • Department of Neuropathology
arch projects in the field of neurodegenerative • Department of Laboratory
diseases with emphasis on Alzheimer's disease and
related dementias. Genetic and molecular kno- From the clinical aspect, Multidisciplinary Support
wledge gained from these studies have different ap- Unit (UMA, for its acronym in Spanish) staff maintain
plications: illustrate researchers into the pathogenic daily contact with patients attending the Queen
mechanisms of the disease, can be implemented in Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center (CAFRS, for its
the diagnosis field and hopefully may lead to the de- acronym in Spanish) and with those people respon-
velopment of better treatments. sible for healthcare tasks of these patients as well as
with the cohort of volunteers from the “Vallecas Pro-
However these advances, far from promising a sim- ject” (study to which we devote a full section in this
ple solution to the problem of neurodegenerative report, please see Section 4). One of the UMA rese-
dementias, anticipate an increasingly complex pic- arch lines involves conducting a clinical, syndromic,
ture, in which the remedies will be achieved through and etiologic diagnosis of patients staying at the
small goals, and only by the complementary and CAFRS either in live-in regime (Life Units) or in day
synergistic work of many research groups. care (Day Center). In addition, the set of clinical
data obtained will be very useful for investigations of
The main feature of neurodegenerative diseases is the rest of the UIPA scientific areas.
its complexity, since they affect both the biological
aspect as well as the clinical and personal level. From the basic research side, UIPA's original project
Thus, the psychological and social aspects involved contemplated the creation of departments of La-
in dementia need to be taken into account and be boratory; Neuropathology; and Neuroimaging.
aware that ethical and legal issues such as the right These three disciplines bring together the most pro-
to information and participation in medical decisions mising areas in research on the biological processes
are increasingly gaining prominence every day. involved in dementia.
CIEN Foundation Annual Report 2015 / 37
