Alzheimer’s disease: three studies underway for the Covéa NeuroTec program

  • CSR
  • Covéa

21 September 2022

For a number of years, Covéa has backed research into Alzheimer's disease. 2020 saw the launch of Covéa NeuroTec, a research programme led by Clinatec, a biomedical research centre in Grenoble, focusing on illuminating the brain to prevent the effects of the disease. To mark World Alzheimer's Day, we invite you to find out about the promising studies currently being carried out as part of the programme.

In France, 1,200,000 people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and more than 225,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

To address this, the Covéa Group MAAF, MMA, GMF, PartnerRe) has backed Alzheimer’s research for several years by supporting the work done at Clinatec, a biomedical research centre in Grenoble.

This resulted in the launch of the Covéa NeuroTec project in 2020, with Covéa’s support. The research programme led by Clinatec aims to slow down the development of Alzheimer’s disease using infrared and near-infrared light.

Covéa NeuroTec is run by an internationally known Australian neuroscience researcher, Professor John Mitrofanis, a specialist in the use of infrared technology to treat illness, in particular neurodegenerative disease.

Under his leadership, three promising studies were launched in 2022 as part of Covéa NeuroTec’s work:

  • The first study, conducted by Dr Audrey Valverde, concerns the neuroprotective effect of photobiomodulation, or illuminating the brain using infrared and near-infrared light.
  • The second study, led by Dr Jaimie Hoh Kam, aims to use biophotons as a biological marker to assess the level of neuroinflammation and neuronal cell death. This detection system could allow for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of neurodegenerative disease.
  • The third study, under Dr Marjorie Dole, consists of a clinical trial to measure the effect of photobiomodulation on brain activity in 72 healthy subjects, both young and old, while performing a motor task or when the neural networks are resting, and assess the difference between young and old.

 

In addition to these concrete scientific advances, the Covéa Group and the Clinatec endowment fund launched an awareness campaign to mark World Alzheimer’s Day: “What if light became a medicine?”. This poster campaign, highlighting the work of Covéa NeuroTec, will be displayed on bus routes in Grenoble for a period of seven days.

 

Read the press release in French version:

About the Clinatec endowment fund

The Clinatec endowment fund was created in 2014 to find external funding to support and finance the innovative projects at Clinatec, the Edmond J. Safra research centre.

Clinatec, the Edmond J. Safra biomedical research centre, was created by Professor Benabid, co-inventor of deep brain stimulation, a technology that stops the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

At Clinatec, doctors, technologists, researchers and biologists aim to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative disease, cancer, epilepsy and severe motor disabilities using micro and nanotechnologies and electronics.

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