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From digital twins to new targets for therapies against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's: with the Mnesys project Italian leap forward in neuroscience

Started with an investment of EUR 115 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, it is estimated that the programme can bring economic returns of up to double this amount, through future investment, recruitment and health savings from more timely and appropriate diagnosis and treatment

by Health Review

27 January 2026

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4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

"With more than 800 scientists involved and thanks to the 65 centres that have joined the 25 founding members, including the University of Genoa as project leader, unprecedented scientific results have been achieved. More than 1,500 publications in just three years, 75% of which in top positions in the field, is an unprecedented record, achieved thanks to the shared effort of researchers who have networked their knowledge, reducing the gap between Northern and Southern Italy in scientific research and laying the foundations for precision medicine to finally arrive in neurology and psychiatry too'. These are the words of Antonio Uccelli, scientific coordinator of the Mnesys project, i.e. the largest Italian and European neuroscience research programme, as he takes stock of the activities three years after the launch of the initiative at the final event organised in the Ligurian capital itself.
Started with an investment of 115 million euro from Pnrr, it is estimated that the programme will bring economic returns of up to double that amount, through future investments, recruitment and health savings from more timely and appropriate diagnoses and therapies.

Discoveries in assets

'Mnesys represents the Italian response to major international projects,' continues Uccelli, who is also the scientific director of the Irccs Azienda Ospedaliera Metropolitana Regione Liguria (Liguria Region Metropolitan Hospital Agency). 'The discoveries that are being made, from digital twins of the brain to the identification of new targets against which to develop innovative therapies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, from the use of already known drugs that, thanks to their better knowledge, can also be used in different diseases to the development of increasingly integrated bionic prostheses, are just a few examples of the successes of Mnesys researchers, which will have positive repercussions on the health of citizens and the organisation of healthcare.

But let's see in detail what are the main findings from the maxi research programme

-Newborn babies' sleep for proper neurodevelopment. Mnesys studies have verified that adequate sleep, in terms of duration and quality, is crucial for proper brain development especially in the tumultuous growth phase characteristic of the first year of life, but even more so in babies born prematurely: in these babies, encouraging and protecting sleep, for example by ensuring continuous contact and relationship with parents even in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, means improving neurodevelopment that preterm birth can threaten.

-The new precision psychiatry. Researchers are discovering that the characteristics of certain immune system cells detectable in the blood can provide important information to better target therapies for psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; specific temperament traits, such as greater dependence on social rewards and emotional support, can provide clues as to which patients with treatment-resistant major depression may respond better to new-generation therapies, such as esketamine.

-The digital brain for tomorrow's neurosurgery. The use of computational models for brain surgery is now a reality thanks to Mnesys: today, in order to guide neurosurgery operations and intervene in such a way as to preserve brain functions as much as possible, it is possible to integrate three-dimensional imaging, which allows the structure of the areas to be treated to be reconstructed digitally and with extreme precision, with simulation procedures of the operation on the patient, which inform how the scalpel could interfere with important functions, motor or language, for increasingly respectful and effective neurosurgery.

-New biomarkers for Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative diseases. By integrating fluid biomarkers with advanced molecular and brain structure imaging techniques, Mnesys researchers are succeeding in identifying early markers for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's; in the case of Alzheimer's, they are also working to recognise the different biological profiles and thus understand which patients will have a more rapid progression to dementia and loss of autonomy, for earlier and more targeted interventions through more accurate and timely diagnosis.

Partnerships and Networked Scientists

"Three years ago Mnesys was a gamble, today we can say that it is a solid reality that demonstrates how it is possible to generate excellence through valuable partnerships, creating an indissoluble link between research and the real economy,' explains Enrico Castanini, president of Mnesys. 'Mnesys has created a network in which doctors and engineers, biologists and computer scientists dialogue for the first time, in which the use of supercomputers capable of analysing huge amounts of data has paved the way for precision medicine applied to diseases of the nervous system. The challenge for the future is to transfer this knowledge into new drugs, new technologies for the benefit of citizens, with a real economic impact. In fact, from the support to hundreds of young researchers to the hiring of many young talents, from the creation of a technological spin-off that will remain the heritage of the country to the investments so that each discovery will be transformed into a cure, the economic return is estimated to be up to twice as much as initially allocated thanks to the positive effects on employment and improved health'.

Basic research as a priority

"The Mnesys programme and the results it has enabled us to achieve are proof of how crucial it is to invest in research if we want to contribute to development," adds Loredana Luzzi, Mnesys' general manager. "In Italy, research funding has long been meagre in relation to GDP: despite the fact that the government estimates in the structural budget plan that public spending will grow slightly, from 0.5% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2029, much remains to be done. The value of investment in research is not always perceived, but funding basic research is a strategic priority to strengthen competitiveness and support the objectives of the NRP. Translating discoveries into concrete benefits for public health, quality of life and the technological development of the country is the ambitious goal behind the Mnesys programme, which in three years has turned this vision into a concrete reality'.

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