Nature highlights CIEN’s pivotal role in Alzheimer’s research in Spain

In its April 2025 edition, the scientific journal Nature has published a feature article titled “Madrid’s unique Alzheimer’s research hub reaches a pivotal moment”, produced by Nature Custom Media. The piece showcases the innovative work of Spain’s Center for Research on Neurological Diseases (CIEN), located at the Centro Alzheimer Fundación Reina Sofía (CAFRS) in Vallecas, Madrid.

The article emphasizes CIEN’s unique model, which integrates cutting-edge dementia research with direct patient care. This close connection allows researchers to gather rare and high-quality clinicopathological data — including over 800 brain donations, forming the largest such cohort in Spain.

Among the major achievements highlighted are the validation of new biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease using MRI and blood samples taken before death and compared to post-mortem findings. These breakthroughs are only possible due to the short average time (around 140 days) between in-life assessments and brain autopsy.

The article also discusses flagship initiatives like the VARS study, the nationwide SCAP-AD project, and international collaborations such as the GADIR project, COSMIC consortium, and the GAAIN platform, all of which position CIEN as a key global player in neurodegenerative disease research.

“We’ve been collecting brains and generating data for a long time,” says CIEN’s scientific director, Pascual Sánchez-Juan. “Now, we’re really starting to see the impact.”

Read the full article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-025-00017-w