Grant: Project Grant

In the context of an aging global population, the World Health Organization emphasizes that cardiovascular disease and dementia are closely linked. In 2030, these two diseases will represent the main causes of death worldwide. The Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a protein involved in the maintenance of cognitive functions. It is also present in large quantities in the blood, in small cells essential for coagulation called platelets, but its role in the blood has not yet been fully understood. This project revolves around 3 main aims: (1) to understand how this protein with an important role for the brain influences platelet behaviour in the bloodstream; (2) to study in rats how the presence of BDNF in the bloodstream influences the occurrence of thrombosis and bleeding; (3) to study in humans whether hereditary genetic variations in BDNF are associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. Taken together, these 3 aims would provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that control the presence of BDNF in the blood. The ultimate goal would be to identify early on which individuals are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, to offer them preventative treatments earlier and more effectively.