June 13, 2013
Today's Top Alzheimer's News
New poll finds that majority of Americans are willing to particpate in a clinical trial, new clues reveal more about early Alzheimer's, and uncertainty in UK research funding (read more).
Must read
- A June 12, 2013 Research!America poll found that a "majority of Americans would participate in clinical trials if recommended by their doctor." According to the article, "More than two-thirds (72%) of Americans say it's likely they would participate in a clinical trial if recommended by their doctor, but only 22% say a doctor or other health care professional has ever talked to them about medical research, according to a new national public opinion poll commissioned by Research!America. A wide majority (80%) say they have heard of a clinical trial - more than half (53%) through the Internet and only 24% from a doctor or other health care provider." Robert Califf, MD, vice chancellor of clinical and translational research at Duke University Medical Center and a co-sponsor of the poll stated, "Advances in common diseases like Alzheimer's and diabetes, as well as rare diseases, depend on physicians and other members of the health care team offering their patients a chance to participate in clinical trials."
Research and science
- A June 12, 2013 US News & World Report article reported that a new study has found "People with genetic mutations that lead to inherited, early onset Alzheimer's disease overproduce a longer, stickier form of amyloid beta, the protein fragment that clumps into plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients." According to the article, "This new study does not prove that amyloid plaques cause Alzheimer's, but it does provide more evidence regarding the way the disease develops and will guide future research into diagnosis and treatment, said Dr. Judy Willis, a neurologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Neurology."
International
- A June 11, 2013 Nature.com article reported that researchers in the UK are worried about budget cuts despite assurances from government officials. According to the article, "With anxiety rising about what the immediate future may hold for Britain’s science funding, the man responsible for the nation’s finances is trying to allay researchers’ fears.Science “is a personal priority for me”, chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne told reporters on 6 June after a ceremony to mark the completion of the roof of the new £650-million (US$1.1-billion) Francis Crick Institute under construction in London."