Inaugural lecture Simon Mooijaart: Maintaining quality of life for elderly patients is key

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On May 12th, 2023, prof. dr. Simon Mooijaart of the LUMC presented his inaugural lecture in the Academiegebouw in Leiden. The focus of his lecture was to foster interdisciplinary “bench to bedside” approaches for patient-centered elderly care. It is key to prioritize and maintain quality of life during treatments, preferably even in the home environment, by using fitting treatment plans and involving the community. This should also help to counter rising treatment costs and nursing staff shortages.

Professor Mooijaart, [...]

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LUMC Research Directorate: New Dutch research project grants available in 2023-24

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The Research Directorate of the LUMC has sought out new grants for funding opportunities in medical research in the coming year(s). This is of interest to any researchers looking for funding to start new (large-scale) projects. Included are grants from two large funding bodies, KWF Kankerbestrijding and NWO. The funding programmes and calls can be summarized as follows:

 

KWF offers a Consortium project with flexible funding and different modules. The deadline is unknown at this time. [...]

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LUMC study finds surprising connection between brain stem changes and cerebral small vessel disease in Alzheimer’s patients

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A new study by dr. Whitney Freeze and others looked at the relationship between changes in cerebral small vessel disease and a part of the brain stem called the locus coeruleus (LC). Cerebral small vessel disease is an umbrella term for conditions affecting the brain’s blood vessels such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy and atheriolosclerosis, as both can damage small arteries. These vascular pathologies can contribute to Alzheimer’s dementia.

The researchers used brain tissue from deceased individuals who were enrolled in [...]

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LUMC and Erasmus MC researchers find new patterns of brain iron accumulation in frontotemporal dementia

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Louise van der Weerd, Boyd Kenkhuis and others published a paper with Erasmus MC on iron accumulation in patients with frontotemporal lobe dementia. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) pathophysiology, including in genetic forms with microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) mutations (FTLD-MAPT) or chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) repeat expansions (FTLD-C9orf72). Both DNA mutations are associated with eventual brain cell death, thereby mediating a strong decline in brain volume in the frontal and temporal areas of [...]

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300k BrightFocus grant awarded to Louise van der Weerd of the LUMC to investigate brain iron spread and inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease

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LUMC investigator, dr. Louise van der Weerd, has received a 300.000 euro grant from the BrightFocus Foundation for a new research project on the histopathology of Alzheimer’s dementia. In this project, van der Weerd and her group aim to do a comprehensive analysis of the histological spreading pattern of iron in the cortex of patients with varying degrees of Alzheimer’s pathology.

Amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease, and follow a specific distribution pattern, which was described [...]

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TENT study on chemotherapy in elderly patients presented at annual Verenso conference

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This month, PhD student Joosje Baltussen presented preliminary data on quality of life and physical functioning in older patients treated with chemotherapy at the annual Verenso conference: the Dutch Association of Elderly Care Physicians. The conference took place in Den Bosch.

The data presented are part of the Triage of Elderly Needing Treatment (TENT) study, a large multicenter prospective study from the Leiden-region that includes older patients who require intensive treatment, such as chemotherapy. Joosje and her team investigated the [...]

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KWF grant for trial to investigate dose-reduced chemotherapy in older patients

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Upfront dose reduction of chemotherapy in older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer may reduce the number of severe side effects of chemotherapy and thus improve quality of life. Dr. Nienke de Glas and her team have received funding from the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) to investigate dose-reduced chemotherapy in a randomized trial that will be enrolled in 40 Dutch hospitals.

In the Netherlands, more than half of the patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer are 70 years or older. [...]

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ERACE Study started on the intergenerational transmission of parental adverse childhood experiences

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Researchers at Health Campus the Hague (LUMC) and the Juliana Children’s Hospital (the Hague), have started a new study on the intergenerational transmission of parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These are potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood. ACEs can have long-lasting negative consequences. Recent literature even suggests that parents can transmit their ACEs onto their children. Children born to parents with ACEs have a higher risk of being born prematurely or small for gestational age. The mechanisms of intergenerational [...]

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LUMC Radiology PhD students win lay communication contest at ISMRM Benelux conference

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At the ISMRM Benelux conference in Brussels, Belgium, Bárbara Schmitz Abecassis and Ingmar Eiling of the LUMC Radiology and C.J. Gorter MRI Center were awarded first prize of a lay-person communication contest. Submissions were judged by researchers and a patient group for their style and ability to make complex ideas accessible to non-experts.

Bárbara explained her work in glioma MR imaging (a type of brain cancer) using chemical exchange saturation transfer, or CEST, in a non-technical summary. Ingmar made a [...]

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A word of caution: Regression to the mean in (biological) age prediction

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When predicting biological age in research, regression to the mean can be an issue. Marije Sluiskes and others from LEGend posted a PubPeer comment (a postpublication peer review platform) to a recent publication of Daunay et al. 2022 (Aging) which did not consider this phenomenon.

Daunay et al. compare four types of epigenetic clocks in three groups: semi-supercentenarians (mean age ± standard deviation: 101.3 ± 1.4), offspring of nonagenarians and centenarians (61.2 ± 6.1), and individuals from the general [...]

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