USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A November 11, 2019 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s blog post by UsA2 COO Russ Paulsen argued the case for ‘cautious optimism’ in the wake of three positive announcements in recent weeks about potential Alzheimer’s disease treatments on the horizon. “With three major pharmacological headlines all in close proximity to one another, you can’t help but feel the tide turning after years of setback and disappointment… Science moves more slowly than any of us in this fight would like. It is frustrating. These recent drug announcements give us hope, but we know that even if all three are approved, it is unlikely they will work for everyone. We need to continue to invest, continue to explore all possible avenues, continue to fight,” wrote Paulsen.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A November 11, 2019 Science Daily article looked at the potential of ergothioneine, a natural amino acid with antioxidative properties which prevents cellular stress, to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) discovered they could produce ergothioneine in a small-scale yeast fermentation process. According to the article, “One of the main reasons for ergothioneine being so expensive at the moment is that the chemical process is costly and the yields fairly low. Furthermore, it has not been tested for its efficacy for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in humans yet. But since the safety assessment of ergothioneine has already been done, it is 'simply' a question of being able to produce enough.”

A November 11, 2019 Medical Xpress article pointed to research from the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine which identified targeting elovanoids (bioactive chemical messengers made from omega-3 very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) as a potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “These novel compounds target senescence genes, a key senescence protein, and the expression of senescence-related genes in the retinal pigment epithelial cells. Elovanoids also restored the structure and integrity of both the retinal epithelial and photoreceptor cells after being damaged by amyloid beta. Overall, they foster repair, remodeling and regeneration.”

FAITH SPOTLIGHT

Check-out First United Methodist Church Montgomery, Alabama’s Respite Ministry program. Alzheimer’s diagnosis and management expert, David Geldmacher, MD, from the University of Alabama, introduces the value of community-based respite programming for families facing the challenges of dementia. “The model of respite care in faith-based communities has proved an effective way to address these problems. By being built as a ministry or community, the issue of shifting the burden of care from one person to another is transformed to care by many. The phrases, “It takes a village” and “Many hands make light work” come to mind here.” Find further resources here.

ICYMI

An October 28, 2019 The New York Times article spotlighted obstetrics and gynecology doctor T.J. Abraham, who has a diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementia. Abraham played both high school and college football, and recently testified at a New York State Assembly hearing about banning tackle football for children aged 12 and younger. According to the article, “His experience is consistent with the direction of much of the new research. Football’s threat to the brain now is less about concussions, those most catastrophic of head collisions, than repeated hits, the sheer repetitive smacking around of the brain inside the skull. Boston University’s C.T.E. center has estimated that the average college football player experiences 800-1,000 hits in a single season.”