The principal investigator is Assoc. Prof. Evandro F. Fang (Akershus University Hospital, Oslo). On the Czech side, the project will be co-investigated by Assoc. Prof. Martin Vyhnálek, the head of the laboratory team Dr Kateřina Veverová, the head of the clinical team Prof. Jan Laczó and the head of the neuropsychological team Dr Hana Horáková together with a team of researchers from the Cognitive Centre of the Department of Neurology of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital.
"We are honoured to be part of this unique international project that has the potential to change the future of Alzheimer's treatment. We believe that by targeting mitochondrial dysfunction we are getting closer to the very essence of neurodegeneration and opening up new possibilities for prevention and treatment," says Martin Vyhnálek.
The research will be supported from September 2025 to August 2028. This is the only project outside the U.S. to receive funding (Alzheimer´s Foundation website).
Researchers are coming up with a clinical trial to test the effects of urolithin A, a natural substance that promotes mitophagy (the recycling of the energy centres of cells - mitochondria), in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Urolithin A is a safe dietary supplement that has been shown in preclinical studies to have a beneficial effect on the underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease - amyloid and tau pathology - and to improve cognitive function. The study will be randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, with 60 participants. The primary objectives are to detect changes in biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. The secondary objective is the effect of Urolithin A on clinical symptoms. The research will be conducted in collaboration between teams from Motol University Hospital (clinical trials) and Akershus University Hospital (laboratory tests).
The Alzheimer's Association is America's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Alzheimer's patients, their families and caregivers. It is dedicated to research, education, outreach and lobbying for better care, prevention and a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
