Today's Top Alzheimer's News
June 10, 2014
The launch of an international Alzheimer's prevention study, Alzheimer's and Latinos, and the power of genome editing to study Alzheimer's (read more).
Must reads and watch
- A June 10, 2014 Associated Press article (via Seattle PI) reported on the launch of a new international Alzheimer's prevention study. According to the article, "Scientists plan to eventually scan the brains of thousands of older volunteers in the U.S., Canada and Australia to find those with a sticky build-up believed to play a key role in development of Alzheimer's — the first time so many people without memory problems get the chance to learn the potentially troubling news… As scientists shift their attention to the still healthy, a few studies are underway to try blocking Alzheimer's in people genetically at risk to get a form of the disease that runs in their families. The A4 study widens the focus beyond a genetic link." Watch AP video segment here.
- A June 9, 2014 Texas Public Radio article reported on Alzheimer's growing impact on the Mexican-American community. According to the article, "The numbers are growing because it's a disease that increases with age, and the U.S. population is getting older. With more Mexican-Americans making up that older population, it's a group that is particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, said Dr. Donald Royall of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio…Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a syndrome that affects mental capacity to the point of interfering with daily life. Although the prevalence of dementia is higher in Mexican-Americans, factors other than Alzheimer’s may be the cause, Royall said."
Research, science, and technology
- A June 10, 2014 Brookings Tech Tank blog reported on the MIT Technology Review's list of innovations with the potential to "change the world," including genome editing. According to the article, "Researchers in China created a pair of monkeys with specific genetic mutations. The scientists used a new method of DNA engineering known as CRISPR. CRISPR allows scientists to modify fertilized eggs. This innovation has great implications for the field of biomedicine. The ability to alter DNA at specific locations on chromosomes makes it easier to study diseases. Researchers at MIT have expressed interest in studying brain disorders like autism and Alzheimer’s disease. CRISPR has the potential to aid researchers studying such ailments, allowing them to identify what genetic mutations actually cause the disorders."
- A June 9, 2014 Wall Street Journal article reported that "Google...and Autism Speaks, a major autism research foundation, plan to announce on Tuesday a deal in which the Internet giant will house the sequencing of 10,000 complete genomes and other clinical data of children with autism and their siblings and parents." According to the article, "Studying genes has been touted as a key to understanding Alzheimer's disease, cancer and autism. But huge DNA databases require computing and storage that many universities and research hospitals don't have." Also reported on by USA Today.