Research themes

The DZNE research addresses causes, mechanisms, diagnosis and therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. These include primarily age-related disorders as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, but also rare neurodegenerative disorders (Prion diseases and Huntington's disease, ALS, FTD).

Major research themes include:

  • The understanding of genetic and environmental risk factors that may facilitate the onset of neurodegeneration.
  • The mechanism involved in neuronal injury and death in neurodegeneration.
  • The protective mechanisms that prevent or limit neuronal damage.
  • The role of the immune system in neuronal demise.
  • The factors that link ageing to neurodegeneration.
  • The factors that link other chronic disorders (depression, diabetes) to late onset dementia.
  • The role of misfolded proteins in the onset and propagation of neurodegeneration.
  • The mechanisms underlying loss of connectivity in neuronal networks.
  • The mechanisms of axonal damage and synaptic pruning.
  • The mechanisms leading to neurotransmitter abnormalities and cognitive dysfunction.
  • The development of new strategies to integrate non-invasive approaches (brain imaging) with protein analyses in blood and CSF leading to the identification of early disease biomarkers.
  • The identification of new pharmacological targets and the design of better clinical trials.
  • The identification of new preventive strategies through large population studies.
  • The study of factors that can help improving quality of life for patients affected by neurodegenerative disorders and care givers.