February 23, 2015

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

USAgainstAlzheimer's was featured in a February 23, 2015 Politico Pulse highlight: "Happy Monday and welcome to PULSE, where we are still munching through leftover cheese and crackers after hosting an Oscar shindig last night. We weren’t too surprised to see that Julianne Moore won for her performance in Still Alice last night — and neither was USAgainstAlzheimer’s, which is seizing the moment to promote its campaign against the disease. More on that here: http://bit.ly/1EGipVa. Fill us in on which awards surprised you — or your best party snacks — when you send tips and hello’s over to [email protected] @eemershon."

A February 20, 2015 AlzForum article reported on the proceedings of the 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Summit. The article quoted USA2 Chairman George Vradenburg as saying, "The field has begun to come together in ways that it never has before, in identifying an overall strategy for the field…There’s a sense of urgency associated with the 2025—it’s finally taking hold in a real way.”

 


OSCAR SPOTLIGHT (MUST WATCH)

A February 22, 2015 ABC broadcast segment featured Julianne Moore on the Oscar's Red Carpet talking about Alzheimer's disease. According to Moore, "[Alzheimer's] it's a disease no matter when you get it."

A February 22, 2015 The Hollywood Reporter article reported that CNN has picked up domestic broadcast rights to the documentary "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me." The deal was made possible, in part, thanks to Eli Lilly. According to a spokeswoman for CNN, "Eli Lilly and Company has been committed to advancing Alzheimer’s research and treatment for over 25 years…Through this thoughtful partnership, we are proud to align our efforts around this powerful film."

 


MUST READS AND LISTEN

A February 22, 2015 The Republic article continued a multi-piece story about a family in Colombia at the center for a major genetic Alzheimer's research study. According to the article, "The drug being tested is designed to prevent amyloid beta protein buildup in their brains. The protein is one of the known markers of Alzheimer's — a biopsy to detect it and other brain changes after death is considered proof for a definitive diagnosis — though it's not certain whether the protein actually causes the disease. If the drug works, if the paisas' Alzheimer's is stopped or delayed, the results would be a medical breakthrough. But whether the drug succeeds or fails, its testing will have repercussions in the research world that reach far beyond the mountains of Medellin." Parts 1 and 2.

A February 20, 2015 The Guardian article reported that UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced an effort to provide all of the country's health staff with dementia training. According to the article, "David Cameron has announced that all NHS staff – from hospital porters to surgeons – will be given training in understanding dementia, as part of a series of measures designed to tackle the condition. Launching the next phase of the government’s “challenge on dementia” programme, the prime minister pledged £300m of investment into dementia research over the next parliament and announced the creation of a new global fund on dementia, which would see investors from the public and private sectors unite to fund a range of research projects. Cameron also announced that an international dementia institute would be established in England within the next five years and an online and telephone service to facilitate people taking part in dementia research studies is to be launched next week." 

A February 18, 2015 WNPR radio interview featured leading Alzheimer's researchers, including Dr. Stephen Strittmatter, Director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at Yale, and Dr. Christopher van Dyck, Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit at Yale University.