George Mason researchers develop crowd computing platform to study Alzheimer's molecules, 1 in 5 people possess natural protector against Alzheimer’s, and the latest Alzheimer'd developments from UC Davis (read more). 

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• A May 11, 2014 Recode article reported that George Mason University researchers have developed a "distributed computing platform" that allows thousands of computers to work together to study Alzheimer's molecules. According to the article, "Anyone can install the software, which runs when their computer is idle, chipping into the scientific effort whenever it can…One of the main targets Klimov’s team is studying is the amyloid precursor protein. It’s normally innocuous, but it’s also the main component of the amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, for reasons little understood." Download the software here.
• A May 10, 2014 Utah People's Post article reported that "University of California San Francisco and the Glandstone Institute have found that about 20 percent of the population carries a natural protector against Alzheimer’s disease." According to the article, "The scientists derived the conclusion after studying a variant of the Klothos gene, also called KL-VS. During the study, the researchers found that people who possessed the gene variant performed better on cognitive function tests. The findings were tested in mice. The study involved more than 700 people who were in the age group 52 to 85."

• A May 12, 2014 Business Standard article reported that Indian pharma company Cipla Limited has made a $21-million investment in DC-based Chase Pharmaceuticals Corporation Inc., to boost its Alzheimer's treatment pipeline. According to the article, "Chase has a unique patented approach and is focused on improving the efficacy, safety and tolerability of existing Alzheimer medications."
• A May 11, 2014 The Sacramento Bee article reported on the efforts of University of California Davis researchers to fight Alzheimer's. According to the article, "They are unlikely warriors on the front lines: the neurologists and neuropsychologists, the project scientists and brain-imaging whiz kids and dedicated clinic staff who are fascinated by the science of the aging brain but frustrated by how little public recognition there seems to be that a crisis is at hand…The process of searching for answers begins in the Alzheimer’s Disease Center’s quiet third-floor clinic, a place of hope and fear. Here, patients and research participants are tested and diagnosed. The staff members offer visitors a cup of coffee and candy from a plentifully stocked bowl. Newcomers, fearful of the news that could await them, are often too nervous to accept."