CONFERENCE COVERAGE SERIES
AD/PD 2022: Advances in Science and Therapy (Hybrid Virtual and In-Person)
Barcelona, Spain
15 – 20 March 2022
The 16th International AD/PD meeting was also the first hybrid version, drawing some 3,360 participants online, or in person in Barcelona, Spain. Scientists outlined Roche’s new Phase 3 secondary prevention trial of gantenerumab for the first time. Attendees also heard updates on Aduhelm, lecanemab, and α-synuclein immunotherapy. On the basic science front, tau emerged as an instigator of interferon responses, while presentations on postmortem single-nuclei data showed how collectives of cell subtypes, and their cross talk, wax and wane together with age and with AD pathology.
Gantenerumab Prevention Trial in Sporadic Alzheimer's Begins
Taking a stab at secondary prevention, the four-year Phase 3 trial will assess the antibody’s ability to slow slippage in 1,200 cognitively healthy, amyloid-positive people.
In First for the Field, α-Synuclein PET. Only for Multiple System Atrophy
A new tracer detects α-synuclein aggregates in people with multiple system atrophy. Binding is weak, and undetectable in people with other synucleinopathies.
Using Lecanemab Trial Data to Determine Maintenance Dose
At AD/PD, researchers presented pharmacologic analyses that could help predict antibody effects and select the right dosage to keep plaques at bay.
Scientists Re-Analyze Aduhelm Data, Try to Parse Who Benefits
At AD/PD, some speakers sought to bolster the argument that amyloid removal slows cognitive decline, while others identified what type of patient is most likely to benefit.
Just Like Viruses, Tau Can Unleash Interferons
By triggering release of mitochondrial DNA, tau fibrils may set off a cytosolic sensor that activates the interferon response. Blocking this sensor spared neurons and memory in mice.
Eavesdropping on Cell-to-Cell Conversations in Aging, Alzheimer's
New, unbiased single-cell methods uncover coordinated changes in cell populations and their interactions. These correlate with disease pathology, progression.
UB-312 Synuclein Vaccine Safe in Controls. Next Up: Parkinson's.
In the field's quest for disease-modifying treatments, two different α-synuclein vaccines and two antibodies look promising in preclinical studies, as well.