Plasma AG:UAG ratio as a dementia biomarker
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Plasma acyl-ghrelin & unacyl-ghrelin (AG:UAG) ratio as a novel biomarker for dementia – a pilot study
IRAS ID
250933
Contact name
Jeffrey S Davies
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD), is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder, affecting more than 26.6 million people worldwide.
Given that the population of those aged 65 or more is set to increase substantially, with 1 billion more by 2050, the burden of AD is projected to increase dramatically. Identifying an effective therapy that can delay disease onset and progression by only 1-year would reduce the number of AD cases in 2050 by 9.2 million. The estimated costs associated with dementia in the UK is £23 billion per year.
There is no cure for dementia and diagnosis is made by clinical assessment by a neurologist. The identification of a biomarker to diagnose dementia is needed to help develop new treatments.
The primary objective of this study will explore whether circulating levels of two stomach-derived hormones (AG and UAG) are impaired in dementia. Our current data suggests that the AG:UAG ratio is reduced in PDD. We will extend the analysis to include further patient groups that associated with cognitive impairments, namely, Parkinson's Disease - Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The study will allow us to determine whether analysis of AG:UAG in blood represents a possible biomarker for dementia.The secondary objective is to determine whether factors from the blood of dementia patients affects the production of energy in nerve cells. This stems from the association of PD with mitochondrial dysfunction in dopamine neurones. Notably, the protective action of the hormone AG is linked to enhanced mitochondrial function. This aspect of the study will allow us to test this theory.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SC/0538
Date of REC Opinion
5 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion