X-ray Spectromicroscopy Studies of Magnetic Iron Biominerals related to Alzheimer’s Disease

This proposed project will utilise novel synchrotron x-ray techniques to investigate the origin and role of nanoscale biologically derived iron minerals together with peptide aggregates in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent research suggests that the formation of iron mineral deposits and the aggregation of the amyloid-beta peptide could be intimately linked with the development of the disease. Further, the development of magnetic iron minerals may help to provide early diagnosis due to their affect on magnetic resonance images (MRI). The project will build on some recent successful experiments performed by the applicants at the Swiss Light Source and Canadian Light Source facilities, and will utilise the strong track record of the applicants in the application of synchrotron techniques to the analysis of magnetic materials and biominerals. As the facilities required for these experiments do not yet exist within the UK, funding is requested for overseas travel for the principle investigator. This will enable him to perform further experiments, build collaborations with scientists at international synchrotron laboratories, and provide crucial on-site training for a PhD student involved in the project. Further to this, the expertise and technical achievements attained in the project could be translated to planned facilities that will become available at the Diamond Light Source laboratory in the next 3-4 years.

Alzheimer's disease affects nearly half a million people in the UK alone and is the most common cause of dementia throughout the world. It is estimated that the annual cost of healthcare and treatments for dementia in the UK totals around £20 billion pounds. Alzheimer's is a progressive condition and the chances of prolonging life and improving the efficacy of treatments is greatly enhanced if diagnosis can be made early. Thus research into the causes and progression of the disease is essential and has the potential for huge impacts in the treatment of the disease.

The proposed project will apply an innovative use of x-ray synchrotron techniques that have previously been the realm of condensed matter physics, to study the links between beta-amyloid aggregation and iron biomineralization in Alzheimer's disease. This research will be truly multidisciplinary in nature and will therefore benefit a broad cross-section of academics in both the UK and overseas working in areas as diverse as biomaterials, physics, biochemistry and neuroscience.

In addition to academia, another key group that will ultimately benefit from the proposed research are general healthcare workers. This includes those in the public sector, such as NHS workers who will benefit from the subsequent development of targeted therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the potential advances in early diagnosis that could be made due to a better understanding of magnetic biominerals in the brain. It also includes the private sector who could exploit a better understanding of the progression of the disease in order to develop new pharmaceuticals, treatments and diagnostic equipment.

Further to the above groups the general public would greatly benefit from the eventual development of the above treatments, therapies, and early diagnosis which could have a significant impact on slowing and perhaps ultimately halting the progression of the disease. In addition to promoting health and wellbeing, such improvements in treatments are likely to impact on the economic costs of the disease to the UK and global sectors.