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Developing the foundation for tests for the early diagnosis of cALD
| Project type: | Research Project |
| Programme: | Life Sciences |
| Call: | Life Sciences Call 2003 |
| Start: | 01.01.2004 |
| Duration: | 4,75 years |
| Grant awarded: | 400.000 € |
Johannes Berger
Medical University of Vienna
Institute for Brain Research, Department for Neuroimmunology
| Project partners: | Jutta Gaertner (Georg August University Goettingen, Germany) Monika Bradl (Medical University Vienna, Center for Brain Research) Wolfgang Koehler (Saxonian Hospital Hubertusburg, Wermsdorf/Germany) |
The goal of the project is to develop the fundamental principles for tests that allow an early identification of the cerebral form of the X-ALD disease and are suitable for monitoring relevant therapies. X-ALD is an inheritable metabolic disorder that damages the central nervous system and leads to the early death of patients.
X-Linked Adrenoleucodystrophy (X-ALD) can either result in cerebral inflammation and demyelination (cALD) causing the early death of patients or in a degenerative disease of the spinal cord (AMN) causing failure of the motor system. Bone marrow transplantations can positively affect the course of the disease, but are risky and can only be considered for a limited number of patients. In order to develop the tests described above, the molecular mechanism that causes the inflammatory reaction has to be characterised.
