There is an enormous and unmet medical need to find efficient methods of prevention, diagnosis and disease- modifying therapies for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), other tauopathies and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The common molecular denominator of tauopathies are pathological forms of tau protein, and in Parkinson’s disease these are pathological forms of -synuclein. Moreover, -synuclein has a distinct role in pathophysiology of tauopathies, mainly in tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation, and vice versa. Tau pathology relates to conformational changes during oligomerization and assembly resulting in toxicity. Given their role in the pathogenesis, conformationally altered and assembled tau or -synuclein would be a promising molecular target for disease-modifying therapies. However, the field is still lacking a deeper understanding of associated structural changes in the course of assembly and their inducers on the pathway towards pathological forms of these proteins; therefore, the pharma development is hampered. The main aim of the InterTau project is the detailed structural and biophysical characterization of tau and -synuclein -synuclein protein and their variants in monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar states relevant for AD, other tauopathies. The InterTAU consortium is composed and academic partners with cutting- edge methodologies suitable for functional and structural characterization of the tau assembly pathway by solution and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), cryo-electron microscopy and cellular assays corroborated by bioinformatics. The mutual transfer of complementary expertise envisaged in the project will facilitate academic outcome and biotechnological development. Specific expertise will be transferred from three institutions in North America and one institution from Argentina. The results of InterTAU will be directly translated into innovation in biotech through the non-academic partner. The platform for sharing knowledge will be a foundation of sustainable cooperation beyond the InterTau project.

More than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. Alzheimer disease (AD) is the main cause of this fatal disorder, without any effective disease modifying therapy. Early diagnosis and lifestyle modifications can significantly reduce the costs of care and treatment. There is no conceptual plan implementing modern diagnostic methods in the clinical practice in Czechia and Slovakia. The interaction between universities and private sector developing molecular diagnostic tools is fragmented and lacking. Limited number of talented students are invested in applied AD-focused research. The aim of ADDIT-CE is to interlink two ecosystems in Brno and Bratislava region, embracing the full quadruple helix of innovation driving actors: excellent scientific teams from Masaryk University and Slovak Academy of Sciences, collaborating with top biotech companies: Geneton, BioVendor, and MultiplexDX. Societal actors will be represented by organisations such as Slovak and Czech Alzheimer Societies, Memory Center and Czech Brain Aging Study. The regional government will be involved via Ministry of Health Slovak Republic, and South Moravian Innovation Centre. The joined ecosystems will unite R&I activities focusing on new diagnostic methods and their applications and further interlink academia and business spheres by creating a pilot industrial PhD programme. ADDIT-CE will generate a joint cross-border strategy covering basic and applied research activities aiming on accelerating the development of new tools for preclinical AD diagnostics and lifestyle/pharmacological intervention monitoring. New cutting-edge technologies will be transferred into clinical practise. Results of ADDIT-CE will be used to develop the Slovak National Plan to Combat Dementia, to enrich the Czech National Plan for AD, and will be widely disseminated to end users and society. ADDIT-CE will join forces of the involved ecosystems to revolutionise diagnostic approaches in both countries.

The overall aim of JPsustaiND is to support the development and extension of the capacities of the EU Joint Programming Initiative on Neurodegenerative Diseases, in particular Alzheimer's (JPND). Since 2009 JPND has been operating on a very light management structure based on a simple Terms of Reference. Through this JPND has been able to set a common Strategic Research Agenda, and to deliver its first implementation plan that has allowed among other achievements, the mobilisation of approximately €100 million of additional funding between 2011 and 2015 to support transnational research programs. While progress has been pleasing to date, the implementation of JPND must now be scaled-up to further catalyse Member State commitments, and to formalize synergies between members and various partners. The immediate challenge therefore for JPND is to secure its long-term sustainability by Member States, to mobilize those which are not yet participating, and to increase its impact at the national level and globally. JPsustaiND thus aims at creating the dedicated structure responsible for long-term JPND management and implementation, and extension of JPND membership to EU Member States and other countries and initiatives not yet participating. To achieve this goal, the JPsustaiND partners, with the support of the JPND Management Board, will implement the following six workpackages: Coordination and Management; Long Term Sustainability; Capacity Extension; Alignment and Outreach; Communication and Advocacy; and Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment. JPsustaiND will implement a stronger global dimension of the JPND, and will avoid duplication of research and infrastructure investment at the national level. By supporting further coordination and integration of national research and innovation programmes with the JPND research strategy, in coherence with Horizon 2020 objectives, JPsustaiND is thus creating a dedicated European Research Area for neurodegenerative diseases.