Holstege Lab

What can scientists learn from the brains of centenarians?

www_holstegelab — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:17:28 +0000

Huge congratulations to Dr Sarah Marzi (UK DRI at King’s) and Dr Alexi Nott (UK DRI at Imperial), who along with Prof Henne Holstege, have been awarded £1.5M via the prestigious Dementia Frontiers Fund, a global initiative from Gates Ventures and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Team EMERALD (Epigenomic Mechanisms of Extreme Resilience and APOE Liability in Dementia) aim to understand how some people are able to reach very old age without developing dementia.

The team will study the brains of centenarians to understand what protects them from neurodegeneration. By uncovering how resilient brains resist or tolerate disease-related changes, we hope to identify new therapeutic targets that could help prevent or delay dementia in younger generations.

Read the full story here.

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New milestone: KingFisher Apex for DNA, RNA, and protein extraction

www_holstegelab — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:58:26 +0000

The Leuven team has reached an important milestone within the 100+ Study: the Thermo Fisher KingFisher Apex has been put into operation.

The Thermo Fisher KingFisher Apex is a benchtop, high‑throughput instrument that automates magnetic bead–based purification of DNA, RNA, proteins and cells in research and clinical labs. It replaces manual, pipette‑heavy workflows with a reproducible, “load plates and press start” process, reducing hands‑on time and operator‑to‑operator variability.

In the 100+ study it will mainly be used for DNA and RNA extractions from Human Brain samples.

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Interview with dr. Sven van der Lee for AlzheimerNederland

www_holstegelab — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 07:50:35 +0000

Dr. Sven van der Lee is one of our senior researchers within the 100plus study and project leader at DemenTREE, the dementia biobank at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam. He was recently interviewed by Alzheimer Nederland regarding his work on identifying genetic risk factors and protective genes associated with dementia. In this feature, he discusses his research passion, professional ambitions, and his vision for how mapping the genetic architecture of dementia can unlock new therapeutic pathways.

Read the article on the Alzheimer Nederland website here (dutch).

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100+ retreat

www_holstegelab — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:37:51 +0000

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Het bericht 100+ retreat verscheen eerst op Holstege Lab.

Brain #100 for the CEN-Brain Age Continuum

www_holstegelab — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:53:48 +0000

Last week brain number 100 has been analyzed in Leuven for the CEN-Brain Age Continuum. An important milestone in our research into brain aging, which we are proud of.

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TN2 Symposium 2026

www_holstegelab — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:14:40 +0000

On April 10th (09:05 – 09:40 AM), Henne Holstege will deliver a keynote at the TN2 Symposium on Pathways to Cognitive Resilience in Extreme Longevity. In this lecture, she will take us through her research on the factors that contribute to maintaining cognitive health at very old ages.

TN2 brings together researchers from both basic science and clinical practice within Translational Neuroscience, connecting experts from the Netherlands with international colleagues.

In addition to Henne Holstege’s lecture, Dr. Carlos Fitzsimmons and Dr. Evgenia Salta will also give presentations. They will speak, respectively, on the relationship between brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases, and on single-cell molecular mapping of human adult hippocampal neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease and resilience.

You can still register by clicking the link below and filling out the form to attend this presentation at the RDC-Adore building. Registration Form TN2 Symposium – April 10, 2026https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=GqvfaLsRxky-tSjXVphPtqNl8-YVR5tEmFpNxzb10g9UN0dWTUdFOFZKN0VKMVZLSThEVTFRVlBESS4u&route=shorturl

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ADPD 2026 – Copenhagen

www_holstegelab — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:44:32 +0000

AD/PD™ 2026 – Copenhagen

How do some people reach 100 years old with their cognition intact? Our researchers will share new insights at the AD/PD™ 2026 Conference in Copenhagen this week.

Several members of our team will be presenting their latest research. If you’re attending the conference, we would love to connect!

📍 Friday, 20 March 2026 – Hall A2 – 18:40

🧠 Symposium: Cognitively Healthy Centenarians: How Do They Do It?

Presentations:

• Henne Holstege – Neuropathology in cognitively healthy centenarians: How did age affect their brain?

• Yaran Zhang – Peripheral epigenetic aging predicts survival independent of Alzheimer’s neuropathology and cognition in centenarians

• Marc Hulsman – Brains from cognitively healthy centenarians resisted accumulation of AD pathology and exhibit lower APOE, early proteasome response, and maintained β-oxidation

Additional presentations:

📍 Tuesday, 17 March 2026 – Hall A3 / Auditorium 10+11 – 08:30

🧬Daniel Alvarez Sirvent🧬– HLA-DRB115:01 associates with increased microglial activation in the aging brain, linking HLA genetic variation to Alzheimer’s neuropathology*

📍 Wednesday, 18 March 2026 – Hall A3 / Auditorium 10+11 – 17:00

🧬Niccoló Tesi🧬– Structural variants shape genetic risk haplotypes in Alzheimer’s disease

📍 Friday, 20 March 2026 – Auditorium 12 – 13:50

🧬Alex Salazar 🧬– Novel haplotypes in TMEM106B paradoxically modulate tau pathology

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to meet during the conference.

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Lunch & Learn by Janna and Joan

www_holstegelab — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:19:57 +0000

During the Lunch & Learn session in October our colleagues Janna and Joan discussed the role of heredity in dementia. Through interactive statements and clear explanations, they addressed common questions and misconceptions. The session took place in the Colloquium in the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam.

Heredity usually plays a role in dementia through genetic risk factors rather than a single genetic cause. A genetic predisposition can increase the risk of developing dementia, but it does not provide certainty. Lifestyle and environmental factors remain important and can influence risk, even in people with increased genetic susceptibility. Inherited forms of dementia that occur at a young age are rare.

The session also highlighted the DemenTREE research project, in which Alzheimer Center Amsterdam studies genetic and biological factors in young-onset dementia to improve diagnosis, risk prediction, and future treatment options.

The key takeaway: genes do not determine everything. Lifestyle continues to play a crucial role. We are looking forward to all the insights from this research.

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100-plus day 2025

www_holstegelab — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:03:33 +0000

On the 3rd of October we had the pleasure of hosting the yearly 100-plus day at Van der Valk Almere. Sponsored by Aegon in support of Alzheimer’s research. Our special guests, the centenarians of the study, enjoyed a day full of joy!

Lunch featured a delicious spread of Dutch favorites, followed by a performance from Anne van Egmond. After the entertainment we had a drink and a bitterbal, during the “borreluurtje”. The day ended with catching up with peers. We had a wonderful day and looking forward to next years – 10th edition!

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AD/PD 2025

www_holstegelab — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 08:33:34 +0000

from the 1st of April till the 5th of April 2025, AP/DP 2025 took place in Vienna. The AD/PD conference has become the main event of the year in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, attracting leading medical and scientific professionals from around the world. Seven researchers from our group also joined the conference. With several talks, posters and a virtual oral we were well represented.

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