Dataset will help advance research into neuro-degenerative diseases
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A platform set up to help researchers look into the causes and treatments for neuro-degenerative diseases has released its first biomarker dataset.
The European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EPND) project has 29 public and private sector partners, aiming to advance research into illnesses including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia, as well as other, rarer diseases.
EPND’s technical Hub provides a safe and accessible sharing platform for researchers to look at clinical studies and data by disease area, biosample availability, imaging and cognitive data.
Now, thanks to the work that has taken place, the release of the first ATN dataset has been made accessible via the Hub.
ATN refers to a data Framework that uses amyloid-beta (A), tau (T) and neurodegeneration (N) biomarkers to assess individuals based on the presence or absence of specific protein accumulations and brain changes.
The dataset includes harmonised clinical and biomarker data from over 350 participants across ten European research cohorts, spanning seven clinical centres in Denmark, Germany, Czechia, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Professor Anthony Brookes, Professor of Genomics and Bioinformatics who is leading the EPND project on behalf of the University of Leicester, said: "To ensure the Hub is as useful as possible, we have incorporated a vast array of metadata, such as the number of plasma and CSF samples that are available, and which clinical variables are collected. This way, researchers have a single location to easily search – and discover – the complete landscape of neurodegeneration studies in Europe.”
Researchers can now request access to the full dataset through the Hub, which includes an extensive range of tools to support discovery and collaborative analysis.
“In the ATN dataset, biomarker measurements are linked to information on demographics, clinical characteristics, lifestyle factors, imaging, and genetics,” said Pieter Jelle Visser, EPND co-Coordinator and Principal Investigator of the biomarker case study.
“The dataset also includes rich clinical assessments covering cognition, motor function, mood, and more - a valuable tool to study disease mechanisms across Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies.”
The ATN dataset joins over 100 research studies now discoverable through the EPND Hub. This growing platform brings together metadata on studies, biosample collections and datasets from more than 25 countries, covering 12 disease areas and over 265,000 participants - from Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease to rarer disorders like Huntington’s disease and ataxias.
Designed by researchers for researchers, the EPND Hub offers seamless data and biosample discovery, access brokerage, and analysis. Key features include:
• Advanced discovery tools - Search, filter, and visualise datasets and biosamples, explore data dictionaries, and submit access requests.• Study visibility - Support for structured, secure collaboration across studies and cohorts.
• Expert ELSI support - Guidance on GDPR compliance, ethics approvals, and legal frameworks such as the European Health Data Space.
• Federated access – Cross-catalogue syndication, with the Hub acting as a unified access point to a wide range of resources.
• Secure cloud analytics - Interoperability with the AD Workbench connects personal, cloud-based workspaces for advanced data analysis.
A notable feature of the Hub is its interoperability with the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative's AD Workbench, a secure, cloud-based data platform and analytics environment that empowers researchers around the world to share, access and analyse data across platforms - facilitating global data sharing in Alzheimer's disease research.
Niranjan Bose, Interim Executive Director of the AD Data Initiative and co-Lead of EPND added: “The integration of the EPND Hub and AD Workbench provides more opportunities for researchers to collaborate, share, access, and analyse data, advancing our shared goal of accelerating discoveries in neurodegenerative disease research.”