June 13, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

Former Reps. John Edward Porter (R-ILL) and Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) call for increased medical research funding, researchers closer to discovering how Alzheimer's stops new memories from forming, and MIT's Dr. Robert Desimone discusses the current state of brain science (read more). 

Must reads

  • A June 12, 2014 The Hill opinion piece by former Reps. John Edward Porter (R-Ill.) and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) advocated for increased research investment to spur medical innovation and progress. According to the authors, "NIH supports noncommercial preliminary research at universities, academic health centers and other research institutions across the country, and the private sector builds on that research to develop new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating disease. Yet the NIH budget is lower today than it was in 2010. Is it no longer important to conquer disease, do more for wounded warriors, improve quality of life for individuals suffering from devastating conditions like Alzheimer’s? That sentiment runs deep among many Americans who don’t believe elected officials in Washington are doing enough to combat deadly diseases.  A majority of Americans agree that basic scientific research that advances the frontiers of knowledge is necessary and should be supported by the federal government, according to polling commissioned by Research!America. And Americans understand that research is important to job creation and economic recovery.  Why doesn’t the federal budget reflect those truths?…We have a long and storied history of medical advances but so many yet to be discovered. It’s time for champions of science to engage the public and their elected representatives, and demand a stronger investment in the research that fuels discovery and innovation." Porter represented Illinois' 10th Congressional District from 1980 to 2001. He is the chairman of Research!America. Mfume represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District from 1987 to 1996. He is a former president and CEO of the NAACP and is currently a Research!America board member.
  • Increased Funding For Alzheimer's Research Clears Important Senate Hurdle [USA2 Press Release] (6/12/14)
Research, science, and technology 
  • A June 13, 2014 The Telegraph (UK) article reported that researchers at Penn State University have discovered a molecule that "stops new memories forming in people with Alzheimer's disease, raising hopes of new drugs to treat dementia." According to the article, "Researchers at Penn State University have now discovered that those plaques may be triggering overproduction of a chemical that drives memory loss by preventing a key part of the brain from functioning.They believe a drug which targets the chemical – known as GABA neurotransmitter – to prevent it from acting could halt memory loss in sufferers."
  • A June 12, 2014 WBUR (NPR Boston) radio interview with Dr. Robert Desimone, director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, explored the question "Is This The ‘Golden Age’ Of Brain Science?"