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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
09:17

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia

Published on: November 6, 2017

22.2K

Tackling gaps in developing life-changing treatments for dementia

Rui Mauricio1, Caroline Benn2, John Davis3

  • 1Alzheimer's Research UK, Cambridge, UK.

Alzheimer'S & Dementia (New York, N. Y.)
|July 13, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Experts identified key research gaps to accelerate dementia treatment discovery. The plan focuses on genetics, neuronal resilience, drug validation, clinical trials, and early detection to meet 2025 goals.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The G8 dementia summit in 2013 aimed to fast-track disease-modifying dementia treatments by 2025.
  • Existing initiatives have been established to achieve this ambitious goal.
  • A 2018 meeting convened experts to identify and address unmet needs in dementia research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and highlight areas in dementia research not covered by current initiatives.
  • To develop a strategic action plan addressing these research gaps.
  • To provide recommendations for achieving the G8 dementia summit's treatment goals.

Main Methods:

  • A meeting of leading neurodegeneration research experts was hosted by Alzheimer's Research UK.
  • Expert views were gathered to identify and review critical research gaps.
  • A strategic action plan was developed based on expert consensus.

Main Results:

  • Six key areas for advancement were identified: genetic risk factor translation, neuronal resilience understanding, drug-target validation, clinical trial subject selection, drug-target engagement assessment, and innovative clinical trial designs for earlier detection.
  • The plan emphasizes translating genetic discoveries into biological understanding.
  • Enhanced understanding of neuronal resilience is crucial for novel drug targets.

Conclusions:

  • Addressing identified research gaps is critical for developing life-changing dementia treatments.
  • The proposed action plan provides a roadmap to accelerate progress towards the 2025 dementia treatment goals.
  • Significant advances are needed in fundamental research, drug development processes, and clinical trial methodologies.
Keywords:
Alzheimer's diseaseClinical trialsDementiaDiagnosisDisease-modifying treatmentEarlier detectionGenetic risk factorsNeurodegenerationTarget validation

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