RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A May 16, 2019 Johns Hopkins University HUB article focused on research to treat Alzheimer’s disease by selectively removing senescent cells, which can slow cognitive decline and reduce brain damage and inflammation. These oligodendrocyte progenitor brain cells collect near amyloid plaques in an AD brain, and send out inflammatory signals contributing to additional damage. According to the article, “Cellular senescence is an emerging area of interest in studies of age-related disease such as Alzheimer's, says [Neuroscience Professor Mark] Mattson. It has been most extensively studied in peripheral tissues, such as skin, where older cells are rapidly replaced by new ones. In these tissues, senescent cells accumulate as a normal part of aging, causing some of the well-known signs of aging skin, including wrinkles, stiffness, and fragility.”

MUST WATCH

In a May 15, 2019 Being Patient Brain Talks video, Founder Deborah Kan spoke with researcher Chris Albertyn (King’s College, London), who is leading a study on Sativex, an orally administered marijuana-derived medication to treat behavioral symptoms like agitation and aggression in people with dementia. The drug is already FDA approved. According to Albertyn, “Currently, there’s a scarcity of pharmacological treatments out there and some of them are dangerous, especially in the long-term, so they would prescribe off-label antipsychotics for the more severe cases of agitation. That comes with adverse health outcomes for the individual, as well an economic impact on hospitals. We’re looking for a safer but just as effective, if not more effective, alternative. We’re not the only ones who have explored the utility of cannabis in this area.”

CLINICAL TRIAL SPOTLIGHT

According to a May 14, 2019 Outsourcing Pharma article, the ACTC (Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium) selected two drug candidates from Eisai’s Alzheimer’s prevention pipeline, Elenbecestat and BAN2401, to enter new clinical trials funded by the NIA/NIH. According to the article, “ACTC’s co-principal investigator, Paul Aisen told us the drugs have ‘enormous potential,’ particularly when administered very early in the disease course. The A3 and A45 studies will both involve individuals who are clinically and cognitively normal, but with the sub-threshold (not elevated, but at high risk for becoming elevated, in the A3 trial) or elevated brain amyloid (in A45).”

FAITH SPOTLIGHT

A May 17, 2019 The Christian Century article told the story of a woman in the author's church who has Alzheimer’s disease. At an evening organized around dementia and faith, “…Astonishingly, she spoke about her own experience of Alzheimer’s. “Fear and anger can be very close together, especially when you have memory problems. And I was angry.” She explained what we’d all experienced of being with her. “I hate people deciding for me or speaking for me. I want people to understand that I’m still me; I still have a sense of self and my own rights.””

MUST LISTEN

A May 13, 2019 NCPR radio segment is the latest in a series following Bella and Will Doolittle since 2017, reporting on their experience living with Bella’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The couple has their own podcast, which reveals new challenges as Bella’s condition slowly progresses. According to the segment, “At times the podcasts now are pretty raw, vulnerable and intimate. But these hard moments can give a false impression. The Doolittle’s home is warm and beautiful. When I visit, Bella’s cooking dinner, talking happily. They both say they still love their lives. A lot of days Bella doesn’t even quite believe she’s ill. “It feels like normal life, what’s happening to me is happening slowly enough that I can’t see it,” she says.”

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

Join Help for Alzheimer’s Families’ “Transitioning to a Specialized Memory Care Center” live chat webinar. Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 1pm (EST). Beau Rusk (Aksarben Village and Dial Retirement Communities’ West Regional Dementia Care) talks about what to expect during such a transition, and the changing role of family caregivers. Ask live questions during the chat, or submit in advance to: [email protected].