February 20, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

Supercomputers help to decode Alzheimer's, the link between lighting and Alzheimer's, and Takeda joins the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease (read more). 

Must reads

  • A February 19, 2014 Red Orbit article reported on the use of supercomputers to guide new drug development for diseases like Alzheimer's. According to the article, "Researchers studying peptides using the Gordon supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego have found new ways to elucidate the creation of the toxic oligomers associated with Alzheimer’s disease…In the February 14 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the researchers suggest their results may generate new targets for drug development."
Research and science 
  • A February 19, 2014 NPR radio segment reported on the link between lighting and alleviating Alzheimer's related behavioral issues. According to the article, "Now, health and electrical lighting. Last month, Mariana Figueiro showed me something she has developed to help seniors avoid falls in the night. Figueiro researches health applications at the Lighting Research Center at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Her project is a nightlight. But it's not just a single bulb. It's a string of yellow lights that border the darkened entrance to, say, a bathroom."
  • A February 19, 2014 Government Executive article reported that "13 teams of government entrepreneurs made pitches...to continue funding for their innovation programs through a new initiative at the Health and Human Services Department called HHS Ignite" including a program aimed at engaging the elderly in research. According to the article, "Recruiting Older Adults for Research (ROAR): Seeks ways to reach out to older populations to get them involved in medical research, especially for studies on relevant topics, such as Alzheimer's disease."
  • A February 19, 2014 Sacramento Bee article reported that "An antidepressant medication has shown potential in treating symptoms of agitation that occur with Alzheimer's disease and in alleviating caregivers' stress, according to a multi-site U.S.- Canada study."
  • Takeda Joins The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease [CEOi Press Release] (2/19/14)