A Personalised Medicine Approach for Alzheimer’s Disease (ABOARD)

Stopping Alzheimer’s before it starts. This is the slogan of a new, nationwide, collaborative project in the Netherlands, led by Wiesje van der Flier from Alzheimer center Amsterdam. ABOARD, short for “A personalised medicine approach for Alzheimer’s disease”, is a public-private project which aims to prepare for a future in which Alzheimer’s disease is stopped before dementia has started. This is realised by: improving timely and accurate diagnosis, developing individualised risk profiles, initiating a nationwide data collection with a focus on patient reported outcomes, and a focus on prevention strategies by creating awareness around dementia and brain health. In addition, readiness of the Dutch healthcare system for disease modifying treatment is evaluated. The ABOARD-project has a duration of 5 years.

ABOARD takes as a starting point the fact that Alzheimer’s disease develops over a period of over twenty years. ABOARD therefore focusses on the stages before onset of dementia, working towards prevention. In addition, Alzheimer’s disease is highly heterogeneous, both in underlying biology and specific pathways involved, and in needs and preferences of patients and their care partners. The wishes and needs of patients should be the starting point of care and ABOARD develops (e)tools to support patient-orchestrated care. Realising that one size does not fit all, ABOARD envisions a future with individualised prevention encompassing tailored combinations of lifestyle and disease modifying interventions.

In the ABOARD-project, over 30 partners representing the entire translational value chain work together. Partners include the five Dutch Alzheimer centres, Alzheimer Nederland and partners from academic and applied research, healthcare, private, semi-private and public organisations, all dedicated to achieve personalised medicine for Alzheimer’s disease.

More information can be found on the website: www.aboard-project.nl.

Partners