Researchers at the University of Navarra have been awarded a major European research grant to advance a groundbreaking study on Alzheimer’s disease. Maite Solas received an ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council, worth €2 million, to lead the HyperAstroMet project.
The project aims to transform current understanding of Alzheimer’s by focusing on astrocytes — brain cells that play a key role in supplying energy to neurons. According to Solas, Alzheimer’s research has traditionally centered on neurons, while the metabolic role of astrocytes has remained largely unexplored.
HyperAstroMet proposes that, in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s, astrocytes undergo abnormal metabolic changes that may contribute to memory loss and neuronal dysfunction. These cells could consume excessive glucose, store glycogen inefficiently, or respond improperly to insulin signals, triggering processes that accelerate the disease.
Preliminary findings from Solas’s team suggest that regulating astrocyte metabolism may help preserve memory and cognitive function, opening the door to new therapeutic strategies. To investigate this, researchers will use advanced technologies including spatial gene and metabolite mapping, miniature live-brain imaging microscopes, and human–mouse chimeric models.
Beyond its scientific significance, the project could have major social and healthcare implications. The research may contribute to earlier Alzheimer’s detection, the development of metabolism-based drugs and biomarkers, nutritional interventions to support brain health, and new public health strategies focused on early prevention.
The initiative also strengthens Navarra’s position as an international research hub. The project includes collaborations with institutions such as the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, CIC biomaGUNE, and Harvard Medical School.
The ERC Consolidator Grant is one of the European Union’s most prestigious scientific funding programs, supporting outstanding researchers and innovative projects. In this year’s competition, 349 projects were selected from 3,121 applications, including 26 led by Spanish researchers.