Petr Novak, MD, PhD

The Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience aims to understand how pathophysiological mechanisms identified in model systems translate to human neurodegenerative disease, and how human neurodegenerative disease translates into conceptual, in vitro and in vivo models.

A key hurdle in the research of neurodegenerative disease is the fact that in vitro and animal findings frequently are not predictive of the efficacy of a novel drug in humans, or that neurodegenerative pathways of humans that take decades to develop are challenging to model in laboratory settings. The picture of human neurodegenerative disease is exceedingly complex, with numerous epiphenomena, comorbidities, and byproducts obscuring the crucial pathophysiological pathways. The group employs a two-pronged approach to address this complexity: using validated models of neurodegenerative disease and environmental / metabolic risk factors, and collaborating with a range of clinical sites across Slovakia in order to be able to cross-link biomarker data with detailed clinical characterization of patients with neurodegenerative disease.

The group has a strong background in human clinical research, in translation of drugs into clinical research, and in the characterization of model systems. Dr. Novak has worked on interventional clinical trials in numerous indications, as the clinical science lead for multiple trials in Alzheimer’s disease, non-fluent primary progressive aphasia, and Angelman syndrome, and consultant on trials in autism spectrum disorder and supranuclear palsy. Furthermore, the group has experience with observational clinical research, including the, JPND “ADDITION” project, APVV projects “LANCRE-AD” and “HARMONY” and in Alzheimer’s disease.

• Prof. Eva Sykova, MD
• Neha Basheer, PhD
• Shahid Ullah Zadran (PhD student)

Projects – funding

Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostics Innovation and Translation to Clinical Practice in Central Europe (ADDIT-CE)

Horizon Europe

2022-2026

Targeting Western diet-inducted neurodegeneration – WesternND

Horizon Europe/JPND

2024-2027

The impact of perineuronal nets and diffuse extracellular matrix on the propagation of tau pathology in Alzheimer´s disease

APVV

2024-2027

Publications

Kovacech B, Cullen NC, Novak P, Hanes J, Kontsekova E, Katina S, Parrak V, Fresser M, Vanbrabant J, Feldman HH, Winblad B, Stoops E, Vanmechelen E, Zilka N. Post hoc analysis of ADAMANT, a phase 2 clinical trial of active tau immunotherapy with AADvac1 in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, positive for plasma p-tau217. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024 Nov 23;16(1):254. doi: 10.1186/s13195-024-01620-7.

Basheer N, Muhammadi MK, Freites CL, Avila M, Momand MUD, Hryntsova N, Smolek T, Katina S, Zilka N. TLR4-mediated chronic neuroinflammation has no effect on tangle pathology in a tauopathy mouse model. Front Aging Neurosci. 2024 Oct 21;16:1468602. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1468602. eCollection 2024.

Basheer N, Buee L, Brion JP, Smolek T, Muhammadi MK, Hritz J, Hromadka T, Dewachter I, Wegmann S, Landrieu I, Novak P, Mudher A, Zilka N. Shaping the future of preclinical development of successful disease-modifying drugs against Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review of tau propagation models. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2024 Apr 4;12(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s40478-024-01748-5.

Cullen NC, Novak P, Tosun D, Kovacech B, Hanes J, Kontsekova E, Fresser M, Ropele S, Feldman HH, Schmidt R, Winblad B, Zilka N. Efficacy assessment of an active tau immunotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease patients with amyloid and tau pathology: a post hoc analysis of the “ADAMANT” randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-centre, phase 2 clinical trial. EBioMedicine. 2024 Jan;99:104923. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104923.

Basheer N, Smolek T, Hassan I, Liu F, Iqbal K, Zilka N, Novak P. Does modulation of tau hyperphosphorylation represent a reasonable therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease? From preclinical studies to the clinical trials. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Jun;28(6):2197-2214. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02113-z.