At the 2026 Dutch Dementia Researchers’ Conference, Aurore Delvenne will present new findings from her research on the role of the choroid plexus in neurodegenerative diseases. Using cerebrospinal fluid proteomics from the EPND biomarker case studies, her work explores how this understudied brain structure contributes differently to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

In this interview, Aurore shares the background to her research, her main findings, and why large, cross-disease datasets, such as the EPND case study datesets, are so valuable - particularly for early career researchers.

Read on to learn more!

Aurore, what is the background to your research and what question were you trying to answer?

During my PhD, I analysed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic data across different Alzheimer’s disease biomarker groups, and we repeatedly observed many altered proteins linked to the choroid plexus. The choroid plexus is a small structure in the brain that is very important for how the central nervous system functions, but it is still quite understudied. There are some studies in Alzheimer’s disease, but almost none in Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies.

In my PhD, I mainly focused on Alzheimer’s disease and carried out a translational study using both mouse and human samples. We found that the choroid plexus was already strongly altered in the very early, preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s disease and in relation to amyloid pathology. Based on this, I wanted to expand the research to other neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the role of the choroid plexus in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, using CSF proteomics.

What does the choroid plexus do?

The choroid plexus produces cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and protects the brain. It also produces many proteins, transports proteins into the CSF, and helps clear proteins out of it. In addition, it plays a role in immune surveillance and forms the barrier between the blood and the CSF.

What are the findings which you will present at the Dutch Dementia Researchers’ Conference?

So, we used CSF proteomic data from EPND’s biomarker case study, generated using the Olink platform. First, we grouped proteins based on how strongly they are expressed by the choroid plexus. We then compared their levels between people with different diseases and healthy controls to identify disease-specific choroid plexus protein patterns.

We found that the proteins linked to the choroid plexus were affected differently in each disease. In all three diseases, a large proportion of the altered proteins were highly expressed by the choroid plexus—around 30%, and even higher in Parkinson’s disease, at around 40%. When we looked at the biological processes involved, the proteins were mainly linked to the immune system in Alzheimer’s disease, to gene regulation in Parkinson’s disease, and to tissue structure in dementia with Lewy bodies. Overall, this shows that the choroid plexus is involved in all these diseases, but in different ways.

How could these results be useful in a clinical context?

It is still quite early, but the findings suggest that the choroid plexus plays a role in disease and that this role is quite varied between patients. This could help with better classification of patients into more specific subgroups and, in the future, support more targeted treatments for different groups of patients.

What is your academic background and why are biomarkers interesting to you?

I have a background in biomedical sciences with a specialisation in neuroscience, and I completed my PhD in 2024 at Alzheimer’s Centre Limburg in Maastricht. My research focused on CSF proteomic signatures in different Alzheimer’s disease biomarker groups.

I am interested in biomarker research because biomarkers can capture disease-related changes in the brain that are both biologically meaningful and clinically useful. They can detect very early changes, help select participants for clinical trials, and follow disease progression or response to treatment over time. This is especially important in neurodegenerative diseases, which are known to be very heterogeneous.

What makes EPND valuable, especially for early career researchers?

The EPND case study dataset is quite unique because it brings together high-quality data and samples from leading centres across different neurodegenerative diseases. This makes it possible to better understand disease mechanisms and see where diseases overlap or differ.

For early career researchers, EPND offers a rare opportunity to expand research questions beyond a single disease and to work within a strong collaborative network. Using the same dataset in different ways also allows many important research questions to be addressed.

Explore the EPND Hub and discover a huge range of studies and research resources, including our biomarker case study datasets: https://discover.epnd.org/