Healthy brain ageing and improved therapeutics and regeneration for brain disease

 
 
 

PIs

Romulo Fuentes, Universidad de Chile

Per Petersson, Lund University

 
 

Participants

Afsaneh Koochek, Uppsala University

Andrea Paula Lima, Universidad de Chile

Carolina Delgado, Universidad de Chile

Charlotte Häger, Uppsala University

Christian Gonzalez-Billault, Universidad de Chile

Eduardo Sagredo, Stockholm University

Ivan Nalvarte, Karolinska Institutet

Javier Silva, Universidad de Chile

Jonas Molinder, University of Gothenburg

Jose Inzunza, Karolinska Institutet

Manuel Guerrero, Universidad de Chile

Marcelo Cano, Universidad de Chile

Maria Alexandra Garcia, Universidad de Chile

María Paulina Correa, Universidad de Chile

Mukesh Kumar Varshney, Karolinska Institutet

Myriam Gutiérrez, Universidad de Chile

Nibaldo Inestrosa, Universidad de Magallanes

 

Results

The primary objective of the workshop was to form a research network within the ACCESS collaboration based on existing strong interdisciplinary expertise in our two countries, to promote healthy brain aging and to combat the diseases of the aging brain. To achieve this goal, a multi-level approach will ultimately be needed – building on strong research initiatives within different areas, including molecular/cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, clinical studies, epidemiology, and population health. Strategic collaboration with industrial partners will also be of importance to stimulate the innovative process towards new therapies.

After discussing potential areas of interest during a pre-meeting, the following themes were highlighted as potential themes to build collaborative efforts around:

  1. Strategies for successful implementation of WHO ́s guidelines for Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) under the concept of age-friendly cities

  2. Development of novel therapies aimed to treat brain disease

  3. Finding personalized preventive strategies, including exploring the potential of stem cells and regenerative medicine, to combat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

  4. Combining knowledge and study designs from epidemiological studies in Chile and Sweden

  5. Sleep and memory in health and disease

  6. Exercise - Brain crosstalk: Lifestyle interventions to improve cognitive functions

In the final session, a Roadmap document was created identifying strategies to pursue new collaborative projects and joint education efforts. Objectives were divided according to tentative milestones: short-term goal, 1 year or long-term goal, 2 years. Before the next ACCESS meeting in Stockholm 2024 a virtual meeting will be held in 2023 to follow up on the short-term action points.