ALZ TECH

A November 5, 2019 Forbes article reported that pharma giant Janssen is working with health innovation startup Medopad to develop digital technology, the ReVeRe platform, to help diagnose early Alzheimer’s disease. “This collaboration between Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Medopad is looking to solve the lack of methodology to diagnose AD and quantify disease progression in patients at scale and to generate new data (in the form of a biomarker) so novel therapies and treatments can be developed post clinical validation,” said Medopad CEO Dan Vahdat. 

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A November 5, 2019 Medscape article focused on the increased risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases among former professional soccer players. A recent study out of Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Scotland found a fivefold increased mortality risk from Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “The current study “represents the first investigation in any sport to address the multiple limitations of previous research… However, the extent of neurodegenerative diseases risk in former soccer players was perhaps at the upper end of our predictions,”" said principal investigator Willie Stewart, PhD.

In an October 31, 2019 Science Alert article, an international team of researchers used electron microscopy to observe amyloid beta (Aβ) fibrils extracted from the brains of people who died from Alzheimer’s disease to try and understand how they clump together and why the body doesn't wash them out. They found the fibrils were folded differently from ones cultured in labs, in addition to structural variations. “The consequence of these observations is that targeting specific fibril morphologies with appropriately selective inhibitors may represent an attractive strategy to interfere with the disease process,” wrote the researchers.

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

Sign-up for Well Spouse Association’s "Understanding Patient Rights Regarding Discharge and Aftercare” webinar. Learn how to understand your rights and options as a patient or caregiver when being discharged from the hospital. Understand how to navigate the health care system, take proactive steps in planning, and make informed choices about future health care. Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 8pm (EST).