Neurobiomics: A potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease hidden in the gut microbiota…
Born out of a partnership between theInstitute of Functional Genomics (IGF) and theInstitut Pasteur, the Neurobiomics project is developing a promising drug derived from the gut microbiota that can influence memory. This innovative project has benefited from the support and involvement of the University Innovation Cluster (PUI).
When two research teams combine their knowledge and expertise, they create a powerful synergy. That is exactly what happened before the launch of the startup NBX Biosciences, which received support from the University Innovation Cluster and is now on track to develop a promising drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
As a researcher at the IGF, Sylvie Claeysen has been studying the role of the gut microbiota in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease since 2014. Over the years, she has focused specifically on the composition of the microbiota in patients and, as part of a study conducted in collaboration with the Memory Resources Research Center Research CMRR) at Montpellier University Hospital, has succeeded in analyzing the proteins and metabolites produced by the disease. “For depression and obesity, we already knew that the microbiota influenced its host’s phenotype. This time, we were able to establish a correlation between the microbiota and cognition. As part of our studies, we also tracked the impact on food intake and sleep. And the samples collected from subjects with Alzheimer’s disease allowed me to test microbiota transplantation in mouse models, ” explains the researcher.
A protective effect on memory
At a conference held in 2021, she met Damien Rei, who was a postdoctoral researcher at the time and was working on the same topic for the Pasteur Institute. “As part of his postdoc, he demonstrated that transferring the microbiota from elderly subjects to mice affects the animals’ memory.” So that year, the two researchers decided to collaborate on the Neurobiomics project.
Animal behavior plays a central role in their research. “It’s very difficult to study memory at the cellular level… We have to study it in animals, but our tests are non-invasive,” explains Sylvie Claeysen.“When faced with two identical objects, the mouse explores and sniffs them. Five minutes later, when we put it back in front of two objects, one of which is new, since it’s curious, it spends more time in front of the one it doesn’t recognize. And we repeat the test 24 hours later… If it explores both objects in the same way, it means it no longer remembers,” continues the researcher, who also examines other complementary parameters, such as neuronal activation or brain inflammation. For his part, Damien Rei is in charge of screening bacterial strains capable of having a protective effect on memory. And so, together, the duo is developing a promising drug candidate.
Analyze the bacteria
Currently, both teams are conducting tests on mini-intestines to assess its potential effect in humans. “This system allows us to use gut microbiota from healthy subjects or those with Alzheimer’s disease. This enables us to analyze the bacteria—whose benefits have already been patented—and its mechanism of action. “That’s the work we’re doing right now, ”says the researcher, who aims to further deepen our understanding of the subject and move “beyond proof of concept.”
Officially founded in 2023, the company was named NBX Biosciences and benefited from the“Companies and Campus”program, which served as a bridge between the academic and socio-economic worlds. “This program enabled us to hire an engineer and gradually move forward into the preclinical phase,” adds Sylvie Claeysen.
Moving forward, the duo hopes to quickly enter the pre-industrial phase so they can produce batches of bacteria—which will act as probiotics—in a culture medium they aim to make as environmentally friendly as possible. Developed under the guidance of the Technology Transfer Acceleration Society (Satt AxLR) and the Business & Innovation Centre (BIC) in Montpellier, NBX Biosciences was the very first company to win the Boost Invest MedVallée program in March 2024. In the coming weeks, it is also expected to apply for Bpifrance’s i-Lab competition. And if everything goes smoothly, researchers could begin Phase 1 clinical trials in humans within the next year or two…