Hearing that a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease is a life-changing moment. There are many unknowns, and it can be unclear what the future holds. It can also mark the beginning of a vital chapter of discovery, especially for people who enroll in clinical trials.
Clinical researchers within the New Mexico Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (NM ADRC) are working toward a cure for Alzheimer’s and other dementias of aging. Our focus is to ensure that the future of brain health represents the vibrant heterogeneity of our state, especially populations of New Mexicans who have been left out of health studies for too long.
By participating in clinical research, patients and families become our partners in a national effort to understand how the brain works. Participants also get deeper insights into their ongoing brain health through the ADRC than they typically could in a community clinic.
What Is an ADRC?
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) are a network of specialized programs funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ADRCs were first established by Congress in the 1980s to create a national network to solve the mysteries of dementia. Today, there are more than 30 ADRCs at major medical schools and research institutions across the country.
One of the primary goals of these centers is to collect high-quality data over many years. This information is sent to the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center in Seattle, WA.
By pooling data from thousands of people across the country, researchers worldwide can access a massive library of information to search for patterns and breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease research.
The New Mexico Mission: A Legacy of Vascular Research
The New Mexico Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center was funded by a five-year NIH grant in 2024, which expanded upon funding first received in 2020.
It is unique because while many centers target their research toward amyloid plaques (proteins often found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease), our center builds on the decades-long legacy of our Director, Dr. Gary Rosenberg.
For more than 35 years, Dr. Rosenberg has studied how the brain’s blood vessels contribute to cognitive impairment—the vascular theory of dementia. His work has shown that the tiny blood vessels in the brain are constantly being remodeled. When the enzymes that manage this process don’t work correctly, they can cause inflammation and injury to the brain’s circulation.
Our research center was established to study how these vascular and inflammatory factors affect the diverse population in New Mexico. We are a partnership between UNM Health Sciences Center, the University of New Mexico, the MIND Research Network, and urban and tribal communities throughout the state.
To accomplish its work, the NM ADRC is organized into several specialized teams called “Cores.” These include:
- Administrative Core: Manages the overall center and partnerships.
- Fluid Biomarker Core: Develops biomarker-based methods to classify patients to improve diagnosis, and to identify at-risk patients earlier.
- Clinical Core: Recruits participants and conducts the longitudinal study.
- Data Management and Statistics Core: Analyzes the complex information collected.
- Neuro Imaging Core: Uses advanced scans such as MRI and PET scans to look inside the living brain.
- Neuropathology Core: Studies physical samples of postmortem brains to confirm diagnoses and learn more about the changes that occur in the brain. This information helps lead to potential treatments and better diagnosis for those living with these diseases.
- Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Core: Partners with New Mexico’s diverse communities.
- Research Education Component: Trains the next generation of doctors and scientists.
Related: Read "How Blood Vessel-Related Health Factors Can Influence Risk of Developing Dementia"
The Clinical Core: Building a Longitudinal Cohort
The mission of the Clinical Core is to build a “longitudinal cohort” to address research gaps. This diverse group of 400 participants will get annual examinations for as long as they wish to participate. Their data will provide valuable insights on how the disease starts and how blood vessels contribute to dementia.
Historically, studies of Alzheimer’s disease have not included enough people from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to helping balance the scales of Alzheimer’s disease research. For too long, too many people have been left out of the conversation.
In fact, White people typically make up the vast majority of the participants in these studies. Hispanic/Latino individuals and American Indians
This can mean we don’t understand how Alzheimer’s disease works in all people, so our treatments and future cures may not work for everyone. The Clinical Core is working to close this gap through:
- Trust and leadership: In partnership with our Outreach Recruitment and Engagement Core, we work directly with the leadership of indigenous communities throughout the state to ensure our research is inclusive and culturally respectful.
- Community staffing: We hire researchers from the communities we serve so participants feel more comfortable and their perspectives are included.
- Language and culture: We are considering lifecourse factors to ensure our results are accurate for people from all walks of life.
The Clinical Core provides the most thorough brain health checkups available in New Mexico, though it is important to note that because it is research, it is not a substitute for clinical care. Our participants can bring some of the information from our exams to their other care providers. Participants get:
- Comprehensive exams: Experts perform cognitive, physical, and neurological tests.
- Advanced biomarker testing: We measure “signs” in the blood. These “biomarkers” can help us see chemical changes, such as a buildup of proteins.
- State-of-the-art Imaging: We use MRI and PET scans to see inside the brain. PET scans allow us to see protein deposits inside the brain.
The generous gift of brain donation allows us to perform “gold standard” research. By examining a donated brain after death, we can confirm diagnosis with 100% accuracy and advance cures for future generations.
Education and Innovation in Research
The NM ADRC is also a classroom for the future. Through our Research Education Component, we’re training the next generation of doctors and scientists to carry on this important research.
We offer unique opportunities for prospective trainees to get involved in groundbreaking, impactful studies. This includes mentorship from world-class researchers who are at the leading edge of dementia research.
A few examples of our advanced research include:
- John Adair’s research finding better ways to classify patients and develop more personalized treatment strategies.
- Kiran Bhaskar’s innovative studies developing a potential vaccine to prevent Alzheimer’s disease by targeting the tau protein.
- Jessica Richardson’s research using non-invasive brain stimulation to help patients with specific types of dementia communicate better.
- Sephira Ryman’s work regarding the gut-brain axis and how the microbiome impacts brain health, as well as novel techniques to clear waste from the brain using CSF.
Related: Read "Research Experience Changes Perspectives and Improves Medical Education"
Our Promise to the People of New Mexico
The NM ADRC is working toward ambitious goals, including:
- Clinical validation: Improving standard tests to be more accurate for all New Mexico’s diverse citizens.
- Waste clearance: Understanding how the brain “flushes” itself to stay healthy.
- Beyond amyloid: Moving past traditional theories to find new treatments that focus on the immune system and blood vessels because we know there is more than one way to “fix” the brain.
The NM ADRC is more than a research project. It’s a promise to the people of New Mexico.
By bringing together world-class technologies, groundbreaking researchers, and partnerships with communities across the state, we’re aiming to make sure no one is left behind in our work to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
If you’re a student looking to make a difference or a family hoping to learn more, your participation is essential.
For more information, call 505-272-3315 or email NMADRC@salud.unm.edu.