Caitlin Finney
Precision medicine for late onset Alzheimer's disease using machine learning and human-derived 3D brain models
Award
Dementia Research Community Project Grant
Status
In progress
Start Date
1 March 2024
About the project
Late onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) accounts for more than 95% of Alzheimer’s disease cases. Despite this, there is still have a poor understanding of what causes it. Tiny mistakes in our DNA (genetic errors) might play a role in causing LOAD. Two of these errors have been uncovered using artificial intelligence. Now the team is taking a step further in this project. The team is collecting skin cells from people who have LOAD and turning them into mini-brains in the lab. These mini-brains have different kinds of cells like neurons (the thinking cells), astrocytes (the support cells), and microglia (the cleaning crew cells). The team will use special markers to track how LOAD develops.
The team will also correct these genetic errors from our mini-brains using a special tool called CRISPR-Cas9. This will let the team see if correcting these errors can stop LOAD from developing. In short, Dr Finney is trying to understand if genetic errors are causing LOAD using artificial intelligence and mini-brains. This could open doors to finding new information about LOAD and help clinicians treat LOAD in a unique way for each person, where DNA mistakes are fixed with targeted treatments. If the team finds the real reasons why LOAD happens, they could stop it or even prevent it from starting.
Where are they now?
Dr Caitlin Finney is a research fellow at the Westmead Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. She has a background in neurodegenerative research and an expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
