USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A February 7, 2018 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s press statement throws its strong support behind the CHANGE act (Concentrating on High-Value Alzheimer's Needs to Get to an End), introduced today by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Linda Sanchez (D-CA). The bill was developed in close partnership with UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, and is a “highly-targeted approach to overcome barriers to a faster cure for Alzheimer's disease… and encourages timely and accurate assessment, detection and diagnosis, supports innovative approaches to support family caregivers, and removes regulatory barriers to disease modifying treatments.” According to UsA2 Co-Founder and Chairman George Vradenburg, “The CHANGE Act addresses this multi-faceted dynamic by tackling Alzheimer's on all fronts, an approach which is essential to moving us closer to getting innovative treatments to more families affected by the disease.” Follow Twitter updates at #CHANGEAlzNow.

MUST READS

A February 6, 2018 Next Avenue article by journalist and entrepreneur Jay Newton-Small, Founder of MemoryWell, chronicles a week she spent living in a locked dementia unit in Brookdale Senior Living’s Fort Collins (Colorado) community. MemoryWell is an older-adult storytelling platform which replaces questionnaires that families must fill out when they put loved ones in assisted living, with professionally told stories. Brookdale’s objective is to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to test drive their products. According to Newton-Small, “…My biggest surprise living in a dementia community: It’s not depressing. Yes, these people are losing their memories. But they also support each other and still have meaningful relationships.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A February 6, 2018 National Institutes of Health news release reported that nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, prevented neurological damage and improved cognitive and physical function in a new model of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting a potential target for treatments. The findings hail from a new study by international National Institute on Aging researchers. According to team leader Vilhelm A. Bohr, MD, PhD, “We are encouraged by these findings that see an effect in this Alzheimer’s disease model. We are looking forward to further testing of how NR or similar compounds might be pursued for their possible therapeutic benefit for people with dementia.” 

INDUSTRY UPDATE

According to a February 7, 2018 The Eagle article, the Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine Institute for Regenerative Medicine announced a research agreement and intellectual property license acquisition with Houston-based biotechnology company Celltex Therapeutics Corporation. A multi-year research study investigating potential therapies for Alzheimer's disease will focus on how exosomes derived from adult stem cells can be used in AD therapies.

LIFESTYLE

A February 2, 2018 Science Daily article cited new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center finding that low levels of alcohol (about two and-a-half drinks per day) keeps inflammation at bay and clears the brain of toxins, including those associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Excessive consumption is a known health hazard, however many studies have linked lower levels with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. According to Maiken Nedergaard, MD, DMSc, "Studies have shown that low-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lesser risk of dementia, while heavy drinking for many years confers an increased risk of cognitive decline. This study may help explain why this occurs. Specifically, low doses of alcohol appear to improve overall brain health."

FEEL GOOD STORY OF THE DAY

An ABC News Good Morning America video segment showed therapy dogs and cats hanging-out with seniors who have dementia and Alzheimer's disease, as part of the North Shore Animal League America’s Shelter Pet Outreach Team program. All the animals are adoptable - find more information here.