CONFERENCE
This disease affects approximately 750 million people worldwide and more than 80 million in Europe. The study involves an international network of partners from ten countries: Italy, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Austria, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Switzerland and Ireland.
"Chronic kidney disease," explains Norberto Perico, Medical Director of the Mario Negri Clinical Centre, "has recently been recognised as a global health priority by the World Health Organization. Yet the cognitive impairment associated with this disease remains under-diagnosed, under-researched and under-managed, despite the high risk of developing dementia."
"By combining clinical research, preclinical testing and the direct involvement of patients with chronic kidney disease, MOMENTUM will make it possible to understand the accumulation of uraemic toxins that underlies mild cognitive impairment," continues Serena Capelli, researcher at the Mario Negri Medical Imaging Laboratory. "The synergy between Biogem and the Mario Negri Institute has made it possible to combine complementary expertise, strengthening the scientific soundness of the project proposal from the very outset."
The project's kick-off meeting is the first practical opportunity for the 13 international partners to begin working together, and it marks the official start of the research project. The project will unfold over the next four years through clinical studies, experimental models and translational analyses.
Biogem's President, Ortensio Zecchino, emphasises: "The collaboration between Biogem and Mario Negri is one of MOMENTUM's strengths — a synergy that has made it possible to create a competitive scientific proposal at the European level and that will continue to guide the project's development in the years to come."
"The MOMENTUM project," summarises Giuseppe Remuzzi, Director of the Mario Negri Institute, “allows us to look to the future by creating new opportunities for the early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease. Our goal is to promote targeted interventions that can bring concrete and meaningful benefits to patients, their families and the entire healthcare system.”
The MOMENTUM project is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101286954, funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the European Health and Digital Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.
. The aim of the project is to clarify the mechanisms that link chronic kidney disease with mild cognitive decline, as well as to develop new tools for early diagnosis and possible therapeutic interventions.){kind=link}