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Research roundup: AI tool developed to predict markers of Alzheimer’s disease, and more
Age Tech World explores the latest research and science developments in the world of ageing and longevity.
AI tool developed to predict markers of Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers have built an AI tool that can accurately predict key signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
The markers the AI is able to predict include the presence of sticky proteins called amyloid beta and tau, using common and less expensive tests like brain scans, memory checks and health records.
The team gathered information from seven different cohorts, totaling 12,185 participants, including their age, health history, memory test scores, genetic information and brain scans.
They then trained an AI model on this data to learn patterns that match the presence of sticky proteins seen in expensive scans and even designed the model to work if some of the information was missing, and tested it on a separate group of people not used in training and found that the AI correctly predicted who had high amyloid or tau levels.
“While popular new blood tests can somewhat detect signs of Alzheimer’s, they can’t reveal exactly where in the brain the issues are occurring – unlike our AI tool, which provides important location-specific detail,” said corresponding author Vijaya Kolachalama, associate professor of medicine and computer science at Boston University.
Kolachalama believes this tool could make checking for Alzheimer’s disease easier and less costly for everyone.
“The tool can help doctors quickly pick people for treatment with new drugs or to participate in research studies, thus saving time and money while reaching more patients who might not have access to costly and complicated tests,” he said.
“For the public, this means faster diagnoses, fewer unnecessary exams and hope for treatments that slow the disease, improving daily life for those affected and their loved ones.”
According to the researchers, this study suggests AI could also change how we stage the disease, spotting it early before symptoms get bad, which might lead to personalised plans, like custom diets or exercises to slow it down.
Additionally, the team say that, one day, this tool could impact other disorders with similar protein issues, like frontotemporal dementia, a type of brain shrinkage causing personality changes and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, brain damage from head injuries, common in athletes.
Groundbreaking exercise programme for older adults at risk of mobility loss
The University of Birmingham is joining the national roll out of the REACT (REtirement in ACTion) exercise programme that will be made available to older people at higher risk of mobility-related disability.
The programme has three-year funding of over £1m, and older people in regions around England will soon be able to benefit from the group-based exercise programme that has been proven to support people to improve and maintain their mobility and ability to live independently.
The funding has been provided by the Vivensa Foundation, and the REACT programme will now be scaled up in two regions of England including North Central London and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
A team of researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Bath will work in partnership with local Integrated Care Boards, voluntary sector organisations including Age UK Bristol and groups of older people.
Backed by a major clinical trial funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), REACT has already been shown to significantly improve older adults’ physical function for at least two years and reduce health and social care costs.
Professor Afroditi Stathi, lead researcher from the University of Birmingham, said: “As people get older their physical functioning and mobility decrease, in fact, studies show that one in three older people will develop severe mobility limitations.
“This affects their health, ability to live independently, their quality of life and even how long they live.
“The REACT study provided strong evidence that this decline can be slowed and even reversed. We have a duty to accelerate the implementation of research, with such strong findings, into routine practice.
“The REACT programme has already been very successful in reaching economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse communities in a small-scale community roll-out in Bristol.
“This new study will help us bridge the gap between research and real-world delivery, ensuring more older people across the UK can benefit from evidence-based support. Our goal is to create a national blueprint for commissioning and scaling REACT.”
Nuclear speckle rejuvenation “next frontier” for treating neurodegeneration
New research reveals that targeting cellular structures called nuclear speckles could be a completely new approach for treating proteinopathies – diseases driven by abnormal accumulation of misfolded proteins such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases.
“Our research is painting a picture where dysregulation of nuclear speckles is important for neuron degeneration in the context of many diseases,” said senior author Bokai Zhu, assistant professor in University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Medicine and the Aging Institute.
“The concept of rejuvenating nuclear speckles to treat these diseases is completely novel, but I believe it’s the next frontier of neurodegenerative research.”
Nuclear speckles are structures within cell nuclei that regulate proper protein production, folding and degradation, a balance known as proteostasis. Zhu’s previous research found that nuclear speckle shape affects function: more spherical speckles were linked with worse proteostasis than irregularly shaped ones.
Hypothesising that drugs that make nuclear speckles less round could treat proteinopathies, Zhu’s team screened hundreds of FDA-approved drugs. When they measured the effects on nuclear speckle sphericity, one stood out: pyrvinium pamoate, originally approved for treating pinworm infections.
They found that pyrvinium pamoate improved proteostasis within cells in a dish, found first author William Dion, a former graduate student in Zhu’s lab.
“We were thrilled that our hypothesis was correct,” said Zhu. “This led us to ask: Does this drug work in disease models, and how does it work?”
Promising Disease Model Results
Zhu collaborated with Xu Chen at UC San Diego, who studies tauopathies – diseases driven by tau protein buildup in the brain, causing memory, cognitive and locomotive deficits.
In mouse neurons expressing human tau, pyrvinium pamoate reduced the pathological protein by about 70 per cent.
Human neurons carrying a frontotemporal dementia-associated tau mutation had abnormally shaped nuclear speckles and elevated tau levels.The researchers showed that low doses of the drug restored nuclear speckle shape and dramatically reduced tau levels without causing cellular stress or toxicity.
In fly models of tauopathy, locomotive symptoms can be measured by assessing climbing ability. Adding pyrvinium pamoate greatly improved climbing prowess in both larvae and adult flies – important evidence of the drug’s effectiveness in living creatures.
In experiments, the researchers used mouse retinas cultured in a dish to show that the drug held promise for treating retinitis pigmentosa, a disease caused by a faulty gene that leads to misfolding of the retinal protein rhodopsin, which clogs up the rod cells of the eye and causes progressive vision loss.
To understand how the drug works, the team carried out experiments with optical tweezers, which use lasers to precisely manipulate microscopic structures.
Nuclear speckles were typically difficult to stretch because of high surface tension, but adding the drug dramatically lowered surface tension, making speckles easy to stretch and rupture.
According to Zhu, when nuclear speckles have lower surface tension, they become less round and spread out to make better contact with chromosomes, leading to greater production of genes regulating proteostasis.
Zhu hopes to move this research into clinical trials soon to test whether pyrvinium pamoate could effectively treat proteinopathies in humans.
New gene linked to aggressive, treatment-resistant prostate cancer
In a new study, researchers have investigated a group of genes known as the R-spondin family in advanced prostate cancer. The RSPO gene family regulates Wnt signaling, a pathway involved in cancer progression.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States and becomes especially dangerous when it spreads beyond the prostate. Most patients are treated with hormone therapies that target the androgen receptor; however, many tumours eventually become resistant.
The research team analysed thousands of tumour samples and found that RSPO2 alterations were more common than changes in other R-spondin genes or even some well-known cancer-related genes like CTNNB1 and APC.
RSPO2 amplification occurred in over 20 per cent of metastatic prostate cancer. Patients with these alterations showed signs of more aggressive disease, including higher mutation rates and greater tumour complexity.
Using laboratory models, the team discovered that RSPO2 increases cancer cell growth and triggers a biological process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is known to promote tumour spread and resistance to standard treatments.
Unlike other genes in the same pathway, RSPO2 also appeared to reduce the activity of androgen receptor genes, suggesting it drives a type of prostate cancer that no longer relies on hormones for growth.
Importantly, RSPO2 showed structural differences from other R-spondin proteins, which may allow researchers to design drugs that specifically block its activity. Current therapies targeting the Wnt pathway are limited, and there are no approved drugs that inhibit RSPO2.
However, this study highlights RSPO2 as a promising therapeutic target, especially for patients who do not respond to existing hormone-based treatments.
Gut-friendly foods such as kimchi and kombucha may carry hidden risks for heart health when eaten in excess, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has warned.
The charity said foods marketed as prebiotic, probiotic or otherwise good for the gut can support the microbiome, but some may also be high in salt or sugar, which can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Products highlighted by the British Heart Foundation included kimchi, kombucha, fruit yoghurts, smoothies and sauerkraut. It said there is no harm in including them as part of a healthy diet, but advised people to check labels for added salt and sugar and eat them in moderation.
Tracy Parker, the charity’s nutrition lead, said: “We encourage everyone to choose foods that can keep their gut microbiome healthy. The benefits are clear, and we are continuing to improve our understanding of how a gut-friendly diet may help our hearts.
“A lot of these products can contain high levels of salt or sugar though, so it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks.
“By ensuring you check package labels for added salt and sugars, and eat each in moderation, you can make sure the risks do not outweigh the benefits for your heart health.”
Fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut are rich in probiotics, the healthy bacteria produced during fermentation that can help support a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.
However, both are traditionally made using a lot of salt, which can raise blood pressure if eaten frequently or in large quantities. High blood pressure is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Kombucha, a fermented tea, also contains probiotics and can be a healthier alternative to fizzy drinks, but many commercial and shop-bought versions contain added sugar.
Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease.
Fruit yoghurts can contain probiotic live bacteria cultures, but may also be high in sugar and have fewer live cultures than plain versions.
The charity said plain yoghurt with live and active cultures on the label can be a lower-sugar option, with whole fruit added at home for sweetness.
Smoothies made with whole fruits provide prebiotic fibre, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria and supports digestive health.
They can also provide vitamins and antioxidants, especially when made with a variety of plant-based ingredients.
But blending breaks down the structure of fruit, releasing free sugars that behave like added sugars in the body and can cause faster rises in blood sugar levels.
Regularly consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease.
The charity said only one 150ml serving of any smoothie counts towards five-a-day, and suggested adding nuts or seeds for extra protein and fibre to help keep blood sugar levels more stable.
The BHF also noted that some shop-bought sauerkraut is pasteurised, which removes most of the live bacteria.
It advised checking the label, eating small portions and choosing unpasteurised products for those seeking the probiotic benefits.
The charity said beneficial gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids during digestion, which are linked to reduced inflammation, better metabolism and better heart and circulatory health.
These good bacteria also help digest polyphenols, natural plant chemicals thought to have antioxidant properties and which may help lower blood pressure.
By contrast, harmful gut bacteria, which thrive on diets high in fat and red meat, produce chemicals that can cause problems in the heart and blood vessels by increasing inflammation and altering how cholesterol is processed in the body.
Beneficial bacteria thrive on varied diets high in prebiotics, non-digestible fibres found in foods such as wholegrains, oats, beans, lentils, bananas and onions.
People with diabetes may have undiagnosed heart failure that could be detected by a simple screening blood test, research suggests.
The TARTAN-HF trial found that one in four patients with diabetes who had at least one other risk factor for heart failure had undiagnosed heart failure detected through screening with a blood test and ultrasound scanning of the heart.
Experts said the findings show the extent of unrecognised heart failure in people with diabetes, and how the condition can be detected using a widely available blood test called NT-proBNP, which measures how much strain the heart is under.
They suggest a heart failure screening programme for diabetics could improve diagnosis rates, lead to earlier treatment and potentially reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death.
The study, involving 700 patients, was led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with AstraZeneca, Roche Diagnostics, Us2.ai, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire.
Dr Kieran Docherty, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow’s School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, said: “Our results from the landmark TARTAN-HF trial identified heart failure in a large proportion of people living with diabetes, emphasising the need for a heart failure screening strategy in this group of patients.
“We know that many of the symptoms and signs of heart failure are non-specific, and may go unrecognised as potentially being due to heart failure for a long time.
“The strategy used in our trial is simple and easy to implement in clinical practice, and will aid in the early identification of heart failure in people with diabetes, and facilitate the initiation of medications that we know improve outcomes in patients with heart failure.”
The study, which began more than three years ago, involved more than 700 people with diabetes from the two health board areas who had at least one other risk factor for heart failure.
They were randomly assigned either to receive heart failure screening or to continue with their usual care.
Researchers found screening uncovered a large number of previously unrecognised cases of heart failure. Around one in four, or 24.9 per cent, of those screened were found to have the condition within six months, compared with 1 per cent in the group continuing their usual care.
The study, involving patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, found almost all of the participants found to have heart failure had preserved ejection fraction, which can be difficult to detect without dedicated testing.
The findings of the TARTAN-HF trial were presented at the American College of Cardiology conference taking place from 28 to 30 March in New Orleans in the US.
Dr Edward Piper, medical director at AstraZeneca UK, said: “Delayed diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in people with type 2 diabetes contributes to poor long-term outcomes. TARTAN-HF demonstrates that targeted, risk-based screening can identify previously undiagnosed heart failure in approximately one in four high-risk patients with diabetes, enabling earlier intervention with guideline-directed therapy.”
Dr Christian Simon, head of global medical affairs at Roche Diagnostics, said: “We are proud to have supported the landmark TARTAN-HF trial. These findings demonstrate the transformative power of early, accessible diagnostics like the NT-proBNP blood test.
“By identifying unrecognised heart failure in people with diabetes, we enable clinicians to initiate appropriate treatments sooner, ultimately improving patient outcomes and lives.”
The UK has launched a £6.3m men’s health fund to back local projects aimed at helping men and boys live longer, healthier lives.
The Men’s Health Community Fund is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, Movember and People’s Health Trust.
The government is contributing £3m, while the two charities are more than doubling that to take the total to £6.3m.
Grants will support community projects reaching underserved men and boys aged 16 and over, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas and at key points in their lives such as becoming a father, losing a job or retiring.
Projects could include support for new fathers, activities for men facing loneliness and social isolation, services to help young men engage with the health system, and support for men in work, out of work and moving into retirement.
The programme will bring together voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to test new ways of reaching men who are least likely to use traditional health services.
An evaluation funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research will assess what works and help inform future policy and delivery.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: “Too many men across the country are living shorter, less healthy lives, particularly those in our most disadvantaged communities.
“This new partnership will help men get the support they need in the places they feel most comfortable, their communities, among people they trust.
“By working with expert charities and local organisations, we can reach the men who are too often missed by traditional services and help them take better care of their mental and physical health.”
“It is a key step in delivering our first ever Men’s Health Strategy and driving forward our ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas.”
The Men’s Health Strategy sets out plans to tackle the physical and mental health challenges men and boys face.
Men can be less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence, while higher rates of smoking, drinking, gambling and drug use are damaging men’s health and affecting families, workplaces and communities.
The government is also investing £3.6m over the next three years in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men in local communities across areas of England where men are most at risk, many of which are also among the most deprived. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men under 50, and three-quarters of all suicides are men.
The projects will aim to break down barriers middle-aged men face in seeking support, including stigma around asking for help and a lack of awareness of what is available and how to access it.
They will be co-designed with experts and men with lived experience of mental health crises and suicidal thoughts.
Gut-friendly foods may damage heart, charity warns
Diabetes patients face increased risk of undiagnosed heart failure
UK government announces £6.3m fund to boost men’s health
Brain health collaboratory launches in Gulf South
