Page 95 - Libro Memoria Cien Inglés

of the disease. Thus, the number of tein neuroglobin and amyloid pepti-
EA samples available has multiplied
by more than 4 in Europe and by al-
most 2 worldwide. Carrying out this
project has made it possible to identify
31 new loci associated with AD risk, in
addition to the 34 already known loci.
The analysis clearly indicated the in-
volvement of sets of genes related to
amyloid and Tau, but also highlighted
microglia, in which increased gene
expression corresponds to a more sig-
nificant risk of AD. Furthermore, nine
of the new candidate genes are ex-
pressed primarily in microglia. Finally,
it was observed that a polygenic risk
score generated from this new genetic
landscape is strongly associated with
the risk of progression from mild cog-
nitive impairment (MCI) to dementia,
regardless of age and APOE e4 allele.
Additionally, in the context of the DE-
GESCO consortium, collaboration has
begun with the GR@ACE project, led
by the ACE Foundation, which will be
carried out in three years, and whose
objective is the application of high-re-
solution genomic technologies to the
identification of a new generation of
genes that provide data in the design
of new treatments to deal with Alzhei-
mer's disease.
A project has also been developed in
collaboration with the laboratory of
Dr. Carlos Dotti (Center for Molecular
Biology "Severo Ochoa") with the aim
of determining the possible functional
relationship between the hemopro-
de levels. Our analysis showed that
plasma Ngb levels in older people are
decreased in those individuals whose
cognitive abilities worsened during a
longitudinal 5-year follow-up period.
These results have been published at
the end of 2020 (de Vidaña et al, 2020
Front. Neurosci. 14: 562581).
With regards to the study of biomar-
kers and in the collaborative context
with the company Biocross SL and
various Spanish hospitals, we continue
with the plasma metabolomic studies
of people with Alzheimer's disease,
mild cognitive impairment or without
cognitive dysfunction. In addition, we
also continue with the development of
a non-genetic test adapted to the hos-
pital diagnostic routine for measuring
blood ApoE4 as a marker for determi-
ning the AD risk and that has currently
obtained the CE label.
Other collaborations
• Assessment of lactoferrin levels in
saliva as a marker of Alzheimer's
disease in collaboration with Drs.
Eva Carro and Félix Bermejo from
the 12 de Octubre Hospital
• Study of the role of lipofuscin in
neurodegeneration in collaboration
with Dr. A Kun from the University
of the Republic, Uruguay
• Determination of plasma levels of
miRNAs using new devices based