Current advances and unmet needs in Alzheimer's disease trials for individuals with Down syndrome: Navigating new therapeutic frontiers


Por: Barroeta, I, Videla, L, Carmona-Iragui, M, Fortea, J, Rafii, MS

Publicada: 1 jun 2025
Resumen:
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have a genetically determined form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene dose effect. Nearly all individuals with DS develop AD pathology by age 40. Although dementia is rare before this age, its incidence rises sharply thereafter. Longitudinal studies estimate a lifetime dementia risk exceeding 90%, with prevalence reaching 88%-100% after age 65-a marked contrast to 10%-15% in the general population. Recent breakthroughs in sporadic AD, including anti-amyloid therapies such as lecanemab and donanemab, have shown efficacy in slowing progression. However, individuals with DS were excluded from these trials, leaving critical gaps in safety and efficacy data. This perspective highlights the current state of AD clinical trials in DS, key challenges-(including ethical considerations, recruitment barriers, and cognitive assessment adaptations), and emerging research efforts. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensure equitable access to disease-modifying therapies for individuals with DS.

Filiaciones:
Barroeta, I:
 Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Invest Biomed St Pau Hosp St Pau, St Pau Memory Unit, Dept Neurol, Barcelona, Spain

 Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerat, Madrid, Spain

Videla, L:
 Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Invest Biomed St Pau Hosp St Pau, St Pau Memory Unit, Dept Neurol, Barcelona, Spain

 Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerat, Madrid, Spain

 Fundacio Catalana Sindrome, Barcelona Med Ctr, Barcelona, Spain

Carmona-Iragui, M:
 Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Invest Biomed St Pau Hosp St Pau, St Pau Memory Unit, Dept Neurol, Barcelona, Spain

 Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerat, Madrid, Spain

 Fundacio Catalana Sindrome, Barcelona Med Ctr, Barcelona, Spain

Fortea, J:
 Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Invest Biomed St Pau Hosp St Pau, St Pau Memory Unit, Dept Neurol, Barcelona, Spain

 Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerat, Madrid, Spain

 Fundacio Catalana Sindrome, Barcelona Med Ctr, Barcelona, Spain

Rafii, MS:
 Univ Southern Calif, Keck Sch Med, Alzheimers Therapeut Res Inst, San Diego, CA USA
ISSN: 15525260





ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
Editorial
WILEY, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 21 Número: 6
Páginas:
WOS Id: 001519388900042
ID de PubMed: 40528298
imagen Green Submitted, hybrid

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