Revealed: Initial Research on Glymphatic Function in Humans Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering by Applied Cognition
In a significant leap forward for Alzheimer's research, Applied Cognition, a clinical-stage platform therapeutics company, has made remarkable strides in understanding the brain's waste clearance mechanisms, particularly focusing on the glymphatic system. This pioneering work, conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Washington School of Medicine, has the potential to significantly contribute to drug discovery for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Applied Cognition's lead program is centred on early-stage Alzheimer's, and its technology offers a scalable solution that allows for real-time, remote, and high-resolution tracking. The company's first-in-class platform has enabled continuous monitoring of glymphatic activity in humans, a breakthrough that until now has been limited to slow, high-cost MRI scans.
The platform revealed how Electroencephalography (EEG) and cardiovascular physiology contribute to sleep-active glymphatic activity in humans. The glymphatic system, originally characterized in rodents, plays a vital role in the removal of toxic proteins, including those associated with Alzheimer's.
The company has successfully identified the first therapeutic target and lead drug candidate to enhance glymphatic clearance of amyloid and tau. The drug candidate has shown promising results in early clinical trials. The paper's authors, including Applied Cognition's team, Dr. Jeffrey Iliff from the University of Washington School of Medicine, and other renowned researchers, have published this groundbreaking study in Nature Biomedical Engineering, demonstrating the first continuous, non-invasive measurement of human glymphatic function.
Applied Cognition's innovative approach offers several key benefits. Firstly, it allows for a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms, enabling researchers to gain insights into the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Secondly, it enables the evaluation of treatment efficacy, helping identify drugs that enhance waste clearance, a promising approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Thirdly, the data collected can be used to identify biomarkers related to the effectiveness of waste clearance. These biomarkers could serve as indicators of disease progression or response to treatment, aiding in the development of new drugs. Fourthly, understanding how the glymphatic system functions can inform strategies for drug delivery, potentially enhancing the delivery of therapeutic agents to specific brain regions, improving treatment efficacy.
Lastly, the insights gained from monitoring waste clearance can guide the development of non-invasive therapies such as focused ultrasound or transcranial photobiomodulation, which aim to enhance glymphatic function and improve brain health.
As Applied Cognition continues to advance this lead program for early-stage Alzheimer's, the company is also expanding its pipeline to explore treatments for other conditions using its platform. Enhancing glymphatic function is a promising new therapeutic strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases, and Applied Cognition is at the forefront of this exciting field.
[1] References omitted for brevity. Please refer to the original study for detailed information.
- The glymphatic system, which plays a crucial role in the removal of toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders, has been studied using a first-in-class platform by Applied Cognition, a clinical-stage platform therapeutics company.
- In their groundbreaking study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, Applied Cognition, scientists from the University of Florida, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and other renowned researchers, have successfully identified the first therapeutic target and lead drug candidate to enhance glymphatic clearance of amyloid and tau, showing promising results in early clinical trials.
- The insights gained from Applied Cognition's work on glymphatic function could be instrumental in developing non-invasive treatments like focused ultrasound or transcranial photobiomodulation for health-and-wellness, specifically for improving brain health and potentially managing medical-conditions like Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.
