The European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EPND) is proud to announce the release of the ATN dataset from its first biomarker case study, now accessible via the EPND Hub . This marks a major step forward in collaborative, cross-disease research tackling neurodegenerative conditions that affect millions across Europe. The release underlines EPND's mission to foster data and biosample sharing to accelerate breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease research.
A multi-cohort dataset to study shared disease mechanisms
The biomarker case study builds on the invaluable contributions of cohort investigators and research teams who provided biosamples and clinical data for the ATN biomarker case study. The ATN dataset includes harmonised clinical and biomarker data from over 350 participants across ten European research cohorts, spanning seven clinical centres in Denmark, Germany, Czechia, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Centralised biomarker analyses, conducted by EPND partners at the University of Gothenburg, used Roche's NeuroToolKit to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma Aß42, Aß40, p-tau181, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and CSF α-synuclein. Data were then harmonised by researchers at the University of Maastricht, where data analyses were also completed.
"In the ATN dataset, biomarker measurements are linked to information on demographics, clinical characteristics, lifestyle factors, imaging, and genetics," said Pieter Jelle Visser, EPND co-Coordinator and Principal Investigator of the biomarker case study. "The dataset also includes rich clinical assessments covering cognition, motor function, mood, and more - a valuable tool to study disease mechanisms across Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies."
Researchers can now request access to the full dataset through the EPND Hub , which includes an extensive range of tools to support discovery and collaborative analysis.
New insights to inform diagnosis and trial design
At the 2024 Alzheimer's Association International Conference, EPND partner Marianna Rizzo (University of Maastricht) presented findings from this case study that challenge traditional diagnostic boundaries. The study showed that amyloid and tau pathologies - typically linked to AD - also appear in DLB and, to a lesser extent, PD. A consistent association between p-tau181 and α-synuclein across all three diseases points to potentially shared pathological processes.
These insights have significant implications for biomarker-driven diagnosis and the future design of clinical trials aimed at overlapping neurodegenerative mechanisms.
The EPND Hub: enabling cross-cohort discovery at scale
The ATN dataset joins over 100 research studies now discoverable through the EPND Hub. This growing platform brings together metadata on studies, biosample collections and datasets from across 25+ countries, covering 12 disease areas and over 265,000 participants - from AD and PD to rarer disorders like Huntington's disease and ataxias.
"To ensure the Hub is as useful as possible, we have incorporated a vast array of metadata, such as the number of plasma and CSF samples that are available, and which clinical variables are collected," said EPND co-Coordinator Anthony Brookes, Professor of Genetics at the University of Leicester. "This way, researchers have a single location to easily search – and discover – the complete landscape of neurodegeneration studies in Europe."
Designed by researchers for researchers, the EPND Hub offers seamless data and biosample discovery, access brokerage, and analysis. Key features include:
- Advanced discovery tools - Search, filter, and visualise datasets and biosamples, explore data dictionaries, and submit access requests.
- Study visibility - Support for structured, secure collaboration across studies and cohorts.
- Expert ELSI support - Guidance on GDPR compliance, ethics approvals, and legal frameworks such as the European Health Data Space.
- Federated access – Cross-catalogue syndication, with the Hub acting as a unified access point to a wide range of resources.
- Secure cloud analytics - Interoperability with the AD Workbench connects personal, cloud-based workspaces for advanced data analysis.
New opportunities for collaborative research
A notable feature of the EPND Hub is its interoperability with the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative's AD Workbench , a secure, cloud-based data platform and analytics environment that empowers researchers around the world to share, access and analyse data across platforms - facilitating global data sharing in Alzheimer's disease research. Thanks to this interoperability, registered users can use a single set of login credentials to view and request available datasets across both platforms, completing their analyses within personal workspaces on the AD Workbench. This interconnected ecosystem makes it easier than ever to share, request, and work with neurodegenerative disease data at scale.
According to Niranjan Bose, Interim Executive Director of the AD Data Initiative and co-Lead of EPND: "The integration of the EPND Hub and AD Workbench provides more opportunities for researchers to collaborate, share, access, and analyse data, advancing our shared goal of accelerating discoveries in neurodegenerative disease research."
EPND welcomes researchers worldwide to register on the EPND Hub, explore its growing catalogue of studies, biosample collections and datasets - including the new ATN dataset - and join a global effort to advance the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Acknowledgement
The EPND consortium brings together experts in neurodegeneration research, data science, diagnosis and treatment from 29 public and private organisations. The EPND project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No. 101034344. The IMI JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.
