INDUSTRY UPDATE

A September 3, 2019 Yahoo! Finance article spotlighted a new report from Elsevier charting Alzheimer’s disease research global trends, based on an analysis of published research since the 1970s. The report found that amyloid-focused research still predominates, but behavioral topics continue to gain momentum. According to the article, “The study reveals that behavioral topics such as sleep is an important and emerging topic for Alzheimer's research; scientists exploring this connection are developing new theories on the early warning signs of this disease, which could help interrupt its progression. The prominence of research on the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's is growing alongside interest in dominant topics such as the amyloid-β protein. Other prominent behavioral research topics include learning and gait.” Read the report here. Also covered by Medical Xpress. 

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A September 3, 2019 Medical Xpress article featured research from scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas, who found that resistance to ghrelin, the brain’s “hunger hormone,” is linked to Alzheimer's disease.According to Dr. Heng Du, “Our hypothesis is that this dissociation between ghrelin and dopamine receptors may be what is affecting cognition in Alzheimer's patients. As the brain loses the function of ghrelin receptors due to amyloid beta, the body tries to compensate by increasing the production of ghrelin and the number of ghrelin receptors. But the amyloid prevents the receptors from functioning.”

FAITH SPOTLIGHT

A September 1, 2019 Spectrum News article reported that retired Bishop Emeritus Clark of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. According to the release, “The Diocese of Rochester was deeply saddened to learn that Bishop Matthew H. Clark, our Bishop Emeritus, has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease. We ask that the faithful pray for Bishop Clark and for all those who suffer with Alzheimer’s, for their caregivers and for all those medical professionals and organizations working to enhance care and treatment. Bishop Clark hopes to continue his ministry in the Diocese.” Also covered by CRUX, Democrat & Chronicle, and others.

CLINICAL TRIAL SPOTLIGHT

An August 29, 2019 Biopharma Dive article spotlighted several Alzheimer’s disease prevention clinical drug trials, attempting to prove that attacking amyloid is the key to early intervention for people with a high probability of developing amyloid-driven cognitive impairment, at a time when many in the industry are looking in new directions. According to the article, ““There have been so many failures of amyloid it should be clear now to everyone it's not going to succeed,” said Casey Lynch, CEO of Cortexyme, a company that is testing a competing hypothesis: that Alzheimer's disease has its origins in infections by a bacteria called Porphyromonas gingivalis. She points to data suggesting that beta amyloid is an immunological response. “It's predictable that blocking it would be a bad idea” if the bacterial hypothesis is true, she said.”

OPINION

(ICYMI) An August 27, 2019 Integrated Care News open letter to the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council by Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD referenced the launch of the council in response to the RAISE Family Caregivers Act signed into law last year. Jacobs cites a lack of coherence in the family caregiving field. “There is little consensus about how to best raise up family caregivers and thereby bolster the loved ones they care for… Family caregiving should be viewed as a lifespan issue for families touched by the widest range of illnesses and conditions. There are certain topics of great interest to all intra-caregiving constituencies: the interface between caregivers and our complex healthcare system; access to affordable medical and support services; family dynamics and developmental needs; more government and community aid to enable people to stay in their homes,” wrote Jacobs.