Latest news with #ADNI
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reducing Your 'Bioenergetic Age' May Ward Off Alzheimer's, Study Finds
Your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease depends largely on your genes and your age, but that doesn't mean it's out of your hands. As a new study suggests, you might have more influence on the matter than you think. The study's authors introduce another key indicator for Alzheimer's risk that may warrant more attention: your 'bioenergetic age', which isn't necessarily the same as your chronological age. Bioenergetics is a field of biochemistry focused on the transformation of energy in living things. Your bioenergetic age represents how efficiently (i.e., how youthfully) your cells generate energy. This metric may not only improve the accuracy of Alzheimer's risk assessments, the study finds, but could also help empower patients to mitigate their own risk. While bioenergetic age is dictated partly by genes and the passage of time, it's malleable in ways chronological age is not. Previous research suggests that some people can reduce their bioenergetic age with healthy habits like physical activity. A simulated clinical trial conducted as part of the recent study showed that improving bioenergetic age may even curb the progression of Alzheimer's as effectively as lecanemab, a drug for treating the disease. "That's quite big because it means some people can lower their risk without the uncertain side effects of current treatments," says senior author Jan Krumsiek, physiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. It may also help explain why Alzheimer's can progress so differently in people with similar early signs of the disease, like cells that begin using and producing energy less efficiently. While many people with this warning sign soon develop Alzheimer's symptoms, others mysteriously remain symptom-free for years. A special 'bioenergetic capacity' seems to protect these patients, helping them maintain normal energy levels despite pathological anomalies in their energy pathways, the researchers write. "In these cases, people can be unusually healthy when we look at their cognition," Krumsiek says. "They make it to old age without the kind of declines that usually creep in." The next step was to find a test that can identify which patients already have this higher bioenergetic capacity, and a way to cultivate it in those where it's lower. The researchers focused on a class of fatty acid metabolites known as acylcarnitines found in the blood, which previous studies have established as markers of cognitive decline and energy metabolism. Using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), they investigated whether acylcarnitine levels in blood can clarify Alzheimer's risk. Higher acylcarnitine levels correlate with a higher bioenergetic age, which is associated with more severe Alzheimer's pathology and cognitive decline, the study found. The researchers used a common 11-question test to assess cognitive decline, finding patients with low acylcarnitine levels declined less quickly, losing about half a point less per year than patients with high acylcarnitine levels. That rate is comparable to that of patients taking lecanemab, they add, suggesting that having a lower bioenergetic age could be protective against Alzheimer's. "It was fascinating," Krumsiek says. "Dividing research participants into groups based on their specific acylcarnitine levels highlighted people with more severe Alzheimer's disease and others with fewer symptoms." This suggests acylcarnitines can help us read our bioenergetic clocks, revealing how old we seem based on our metabolism rather than the date of our birth. Luckily, a cheap test for acylcarnitine levels in blood already exists. "It's fortunate that these blood tests – originally developed to identify metabolic and mitochondrial disorders in newborns – can also help assess a person's bioenergetic age," Krumsiek says. "If we can repurpose this technology for older adults, that could provide a way to start personalized treatment earlier." That treatment could include behavioral shifts to boost exercise and nutrition, reducing patients' bioenergetic age and thus their Alzheimer's risk. Interventions like these might yield the most benefit for patients with a high bioenergetic age but also a favorable genetic profile, the researchers suggest, noting that about 30 percent of participants from the ADNI study fit that description. Future research should also explore which interventions are most effective in reducing a person's bioenergetic age, the researchers say. The study was published in Nature Communications. Exercise Boosts Brain Function Across All Ages, Massive Study Confirms Pouring Coffee Into Your Rectum Isn't Worth The Risk, Says Expert Oral Cancer Cases Are on The Rise, And Sugary Drinks Could Be to Blame
Globe and Mail
04-03-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
IGC Pharma Expands AI Platform With Advanced Diagnostic Model for Alzheimer's and Dementia Detection
POTOMAC, MD / ACCESS Newswire / March 4, 2025 / IGC Pharma, Inc. ("IGC" or the "Company") (NYSE American:IGC) today announced an advancement in its Artificial Intelligence ("AI") platform with the development of a new AI-driven model designed to improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other causes of dementia. With Alzheimer's accounting for approximately 60-80% of all dementia cases, alongside other conditions such as vascular disease, Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal degeneration, accurate diagnosis is critical to ensuring the right treatment strategy. Dementia affects over 55 million people worldwide, causing progressive cognitive decline, memory loss, and behavioral changes. Despite its widespread impact, current diagnostic methods often rely on invasive procedures, expensive imaging, and subjective clinical assessments, leading to high rates of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. IGC Pharma's cutting-edge AI model is designed to address these challenges by integrating vast clinical datasets and leveraging deep learning algorithms to distinguish between the different diseases that cause dementia. By reducing false negatives and misdiagnoses, the model has the potential to significantly improve early detection, ensuring patients receive the right treatment at the right time. The AI model is being trained on multi-modal clinical data from leading public research databases, including the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC), the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), and the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), among others. By analyzing neuroimaging biomarkers, cognitive assessments, genetic risk factors, medical history, neurological exams, and demographic information, IGC Pharma's AI-driven approach enables a more precise and scalable diagnostic framework. Using state-of-the-art transformer-based neural networks, the model's architecture is designed to process diverse patient data while compensating for missing information-delivering reliable, personalized insights across different patient populations. "The AI model is a potential game changer for our growth strategy. Our AI platform is a key driver of IGC Pharma's long-term growth strategy, reinforcing our commitment to precision medicine and targeted treatments for neurodegenerative diseases," said Ram Mukunda, CEO of IGC Pharma. "Misdiagnosis remains a significant challenge, often delaying treatment for patients who need it most. Our AI-driven model aims to close this gap, ultimately improving patient outcomes." This initiative is part of IGC Pharma's broader AI strategy, positioning the company at the forefront of innovation in Alzheimer's research. The development of an AI foundation model for Alzheimer's disease and dementia detection represents a transformative step forward, not only in advancing medical breakthroughs but also in enhancing the Company's long-term value and leadership in AI-driven healthcare solutions. About IGC Pharma (dba IGC): IGC Pharma is an AI-powered, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative treatments for Alzheimer's disease and transforming patient care with fast-acting, safe, and effective solutions. Our portfolio includes the TGR family, including TGR-63, which targets amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's. The IGC-C and IGC-M platforms are advancing in preclinical studies, focusing on metabolic disorders, tau proteins, early plaque formation, and multiple disease hallmarks. Our lead therapeutic candidate, IGC-AD1, is a cannabinoid-based treatment currently in a Phase 2 trial for agitation in dementia ("CALMA") associated with Alzheimer's ( IGC Pharma Phase II). Interim data for IGC-AD1 demonstrated that it has the potential to transform patient care by offering faster-acting and more effective relief compared to traditional medications. Additionally, our AI models are designed to predict potential biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer's, optimize clinical trials, and predict receptor affinity, among others. With 32 patent filings and a commitment to innovation, IGC Pharma is dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical treatments and improving the lives of those affected by Alzheimer's and related conditions. The Company operates a wellness brand offering scientifically formulated products under the brand Holiby™ and as white-labeled formulations. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based largely on IGC Pharma's expectations and are subject to several risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond IGC Pharma's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, the Company's failure or inability to commercialize one or more of the Company's products or technologies, including the products or formulations described in this release, or failure to obtain regulatory approval for the products or formulations, where required, or government regulations affecting AI or the AI algorithms not working as intended or producing accurate predictions; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; the FDA's general position regarding cannabis- and hemp-based products; and other factors, many of which are discussed in IGC Pharma's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. IGC incorporates by reference its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 24, 2024, and on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 7, 2024, as if fully incorporated and restated herein. Considering these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this release will occur. SOURCE: IGC Pharma, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
