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Sulfavant A: a new marine-derived compound for targeting Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease

Project objectives

The preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can last for decades, during which subtle irreversible brain changes are underway long before classic symptoms, such as memory loss, appear. Neuroinflammation is an early contributor to AD pathology, exacerbating disease progression and neuronal degeneration. In the mouse model of AD, neuroinflammation parallels the selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), long before the formation of amyloid-β plaque. To date, there is no cure for AD, and current therapies targeting amyloid-β are inadequate. In recent years, research has been oriented towards providing new perspectives in the discovery of drugs through the use of molecules of natural origin, with immunomodulatory activity. This project proposes to test Sulfavant A, a recently synthesized marine-derived sulfoglycolipid, in AD animals.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate that Sulfavant A can modulate the inflammatory process and prevent the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the VTA, with consequent improvement of the associated functional and behavioral alterations.

Start and end date

January 2022 - January 2023

Project Manager

Dr. Livia La Barbera, Coordinator

Coordinating institution of the project

Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma

Other Institutions involved

  • IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome 

Funding source

Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma

Economic value of the project

€ 25.000

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