Every year, the international Grifols Albus Program awards euros 50,000 to two innovative ideas on the possible therapeutic applications of albumin. On this occasion, a study by Dr. Mar Hernández, principal investigator of the group of Neurovascular Diseases of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), is one of the two winning projects. A group of international experts analysed the proposals and evaluated them based on their scientific merit, innovative nature, clinical impact and the experience of the researchers. The objective of the research of Dr. Hernández's group is to explore the usefulness of an albumin-based approach for the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.Nanoparticles and albumin for the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer'sAlzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia around the world, characterized by the accumulation of Beta-amyloid protein in the brain, among other damages. In fact, this protein, which is deposited in the patients' brain even years before the appearance of clinical symptoms, can be detected thanks to imaging tests such as positron emission tomography (PET). However, this is a limited availability, invasive and expensive test.Despite its frequency, there is currently no treatment to cure the disease or slow its progression. The possible therapies being studied include the use of albumin, a very abundant protein in the blood that is capable of binding to circulating Beta-amyloid and couls promote its removal from the brain. Dr. Mar Hernández researchs, in collaboration with the team of Dr. Anna Roig from ICMAB-CSIC, consists in studying the usefulness of magnetic nanoparticles coated with human albumin in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease. The award-winning project aims to determine whether these albumin nanoconjugates could also be useful for the detection of Beta-amyloid deposits in the brain by MRI techniques. Therefore, their use would facilitate the diagnosis and the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.