Commemorating NIA’s 50 years of neuroscience curiosity

A bold, broad portfolio

The NIA Division of Neuroscience portfolio grew dramatically in recent years, thanks to generous increases in congressional funding for dementia research. NIA’s broad funding support has enabled scientists to gain a clearer picture of multiple, interconnected biological pathways and other factors that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.

For example, in 2010, we knew of just 10 genes associated with Alzheimer’s. Today, thanks in large part to the work of NIA-supported researchers, we know of more than 80 genetic areas associated with Alzheimer’s. Through the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project , scientists have identified gene variants that influence dementia risk and others that affect resilience.

We’ve also seen tremendous progress with biomarkers. Before the early 2000s, the only sure way to know whether a person had Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia was through autopsy. NIA-funded research enabled tests that are now available to help clinicians see and measure biomarkers associated with dementia in a living person. These include an FDA-approved diagnostic agent to detect tau tangles in the brain via PET scans. In addition, the PrecivityAD™ blood test is commercially available for detecting beta-amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. A second-generation version of PrecivityAD2™ that measures amyloid and tau was released in 2023.

Our research and clinical infrastructure support includes the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers and Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium , both of which foster collaborative expertise, shared scientific resources, and diverse study recruitment solutions. In total, NIA currently supports more than 507 Alzheimer’s and related dementias clinical trials, and of these, more than 70 involve testing of promising drug candidates.

Additionally, the NIH Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Program for Alzheimer’s Disease , a public-private partnership, has helped accelerate identification and understanding of potential therapies, including through precision medicine approaches, and led to more than 600 potential new drug targets. NIH-funded scientists are also testing if existing Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs can be repurposed to treat dementia, which could save time and cost compared to traditional drug development.

Of note, while NIA and the broader NIH did not provide direct support for the development of two new FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s — lecanemab and donanemab — decades of NIA and broader NIH federal funding were integral to laying the foundation for these and other promising therapeutic approaches.

NIA also funds non-pharmacological studies — just one example is the Systematic Multi-Domain Alzheimer’s Risk Reduction (SMARRT) Trial — designed to better understand whether interventions geared toward reducing modifiable dementia risk factors are effective in preventing cognitive impairment and/or eventual dementia. Other NIA funding has already led to the discovery of preventive approaches to lowering one’s risk of developing dementia. For example, scientists have found that controlling high blood pressure may slow age-related brain damage and the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment, which is often a precursor of dementia.

Additionally, robust neuroscience research is also important to learning more about broader age-related and cognitive changes. NIA recently cohosted a scientific summit on this topic, with a particular focus on individual differences and the development of personalized approaches to the remediation of decline and the maintenance of health.

Yet another example of our broad portfolio is the study of sleep disorders. There are many factors that may prevent older adults from getting the amount of sleep they need for optimal health, such as insomnia, menopause , or sleep apnea. We remain dedicated to discovering solutions!

Excitement for the future

I remain optimistic for the future and am confident that NIA will continue to be a powerful innovation engine that will yield yet more significant breakthroughs in the decades ahead. Among the broad range of possibilities:

• Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop new models of aging and dementia
• Accelerating Alzheimer’s therapeutic approaches by targeting aging mechanisms
• Developing novel imaging and blood biomarkers for aging and disease
• Extending research infrastructure, recruitment, and workforce training in low- and middle-income countries
• Incorporating precision medicine approaches to target the hallmarks of aging and molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s and related dementias
• Improving data harmonization in longitudinal studies of aging and dementia to enhance team science

Learn more and join us Sept. 23-25!

I thank all colleagues, researchers, study participants, care partners, and others we have worked with along the way for their inspiration and for having made neuroscience progress possible. To learn more about NIH-funded past achievements and future endeavors, read our latest dementia research progress report and professional judgment budget .

Additionally, join us Sept. 23-25 for the 2024 NIH Alzheimer’s Research Summit . Attendees can join in person or listen in virtually via NIH Videocast. Visit the webpage for more details.

I urge scientists from a broad range of research disciplines to stay connected with NIA for the latest updates, collaboration resources, and training opportunities; wish you all success; and welcome your comments below!

50th Anniversary Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Clinical Research Data Sharing 2024-08-28T00:00:00Z