In Vivo Assessment of Tau Protein Accumulation in Down Syndrome by Positron Emission Tomography

• Grant number: 25/10948-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Daniele de Paula Faria
• Grantee: Dimitri Brigide de Almeida Mantovani
• Supervisor: Juan Fortea Ormaechea
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Instituto De Investigación Biomédica De Sant Pau, Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/14294-0 - Evaluation of Brain Molecular Processes in Human Aging by Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography Images, BP.DD

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is associated with a genetically determined form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by early accumulation of beta-amyloid (A¿) plaques and a nearly universal risk of dementia in late adulthood. The ongoing doctoral research investigates A¿ deposition and neuroinflammation in DS using [11C]PIB and [11C]PK11195 PET imaging in a Brazilian cohort, revealing a biphasic neuroinflammatory pattern and early striatal A¿ accumulation. However, the absence of tau-PET imaging in Brazil precludes the evaluation of tau pathology, an essential biomarker more closely associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. To address this limitation, the proposed international research internship will be conducted at the Sant Pau Memory Unit in Barcelona, under the supervision of Dr. Juan Fortea. The aim is to analyze tau-PET images from a large Spanish cohort of individuals with DS, stratified by age groups (20-34, 35-49, and ¿50 years). Although direct correlations between tau, and neuroinflammation will not be possible due to the asymmetry in available biomarkers across cohorts, a cross-national analysis of A¿ deposition will be performed to contextualize Brazilian results within a broader epidemiological framework. This internship will enhance the doctoral research by incorporating tau data into the biomarker trajectory of AD in DS, promote international collaboration, and enable the transfer of advanced neuroimaging methodologies to Brazil. The experience will contribute to future implementation of tau-PET protocols at LIM-43 and strengthen the candidate's scientific development in translational neuroimaging.