by McKinnon Rice, Fort Worth Report
June 14, 2026
More than 90% of people with Down syndrome will get Alzheimer’s disease by the time they are in their early to mid-60s — and they often get it sooner.
Clinical research at UNT Health Fort Worth will help scientists better understand the disease in people with Down syndrome and what causes it, aiding them in developing treatment options.
“It’s not really if, but kind of when, for this group,” said Melissa Petersen, the associate professor who will lead the research at UNT Health.
People living with Down syndrome have an additional 21st chromosome. Genes within the 21st chromosome tell the body how to produce the amyloid precursor protein, and due to this, production of amyloid protein is increased in individuals with Down syndrome. Buildup of amyloid in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, is associated with nerve cell death and resulting memory loss and functional changes.
The clinical research is part of a larger effort funded by the National Institutes of Health, called the Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome, or ABC-DS, study. UNT Health is one of 11 other clinical sites, or those that work with people as participants. UNT Health is the first clinical site in Texas. The school also participates in ABC-DS through ongoing work studying blood in its laboratories.
UNT Health will enroll 45 total participants at its clinical site, Petersen said. The researchers will study the physical characteristics and function of participants’ brains through interviews, medical exams, memory and thinking assessments, PET scans and MRIs. Participants will be asked to bring a family member or caregiver, called a study partner, who will be interviewed about the participant as well.
“It’s often the subtle changes that the caregivers and these study partners are noticing that are really indicative of … change in that adult with Down syndrome as they move through the disease,” Petersen said.
Qualifying participants in the study could also join what is called a trial-ready cohort — a group of people who can be contacted and enroll more quickly in clinical trials for new treatments because information about their health has already been collected. People with Down syndrome have historically been excluded from clinical trials, but that has been challenged as they have been the focus of studies and have advocated for their own participation, Petersen said.
Cohort participants can find out about chances to take part in clinical trials that they may not have been aware of otherwise, she added.
McKinnon Rice is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Her position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
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