April 23, 2014
Today's Top Alzheimer's News
US Senator Chris Coons cosponsors legislation to increase funding for Alzheimer's research, Florida's need to prepare for Alzheimer's, a new approach to treating Alzheimer's, and the latest on deep brain stimulation (read more).
Must reads
- An April 22, 2014 PoliticalNews.me article reported that "U.S. Senator Chris Coons has cosponsored bipartisan legislation to step up investment in lifesaving Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)." According to the article, "The Alzheimer’s Accountability Act would support implementation of the National Alzheimer’s Plan, first developed by the NIH in 2012 with the goal of effectively preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by 2025. The bill would require the NIH to submit an annual budget to Congress and the President to determine the level of funding needed to meet the plan’s research targets."
- An April 22, 2014 Pensacola News Journal (FL) editorial advocated for increased funding for Alzheimer's research and challenged Florida to prepare for the disease. According to the editorial, "Alzheimer's robs families of a beloved mother or father. Spouses lose a life partner at a time when a life should be celebrated. The Golden Years are tarnished as the afflicted fades away. As a state we should do what we can to prevent further heartache.
Research and science
- An April 22, 2014 BrandeisNow article reported that university researchers "have devised a novel approach to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease that significantly increases retromer levels while decreasing amyloid-beta levels in neurons, without harming the cell." According to the article, "Previous research showed that brains affected by Alzheimer’s had lower levels of retromer and by increasing retromer in neurons, amyloid-beta levels decreased. However, this is the first time researchers have found a way to pharmacologically strengthen the retromer complex. The scientists identified compounds called pharmacological chaperones that bind to retromer’s weakest points, making the complex stronger, more resilient and better able to move amyloid-beta."
- A May 2014 Smithsonian Magazine article reported on the advances in the field of deep brain stimulation and its promises to treat diseases like Alzheimer's. According to the article, "Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, combines neurology, neurosurgery and electrical engineering, and casual conversations in the operating room between doctors and their wide-awake patients are just one of the surprises…Tiny electrodes are implanted in their brains (powered by battery packs sewn into their chests) to deliver a weak but constant electric current that reduces or eliminates their symptoms. DBS can improve a shaky putting stroke; it can also help the disabled walk and the psychologically tormented find peace."