Is Alzheimer’s research really making progress?
Friday December 18, 2015 - Jennifer Prell
Is Alzheimer’s research really making progress?
By Bill Lowe, President and CEO of Chicagoland Methodist
Senior Services
When Alzheimer’s disease was first described in medical
literature in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, there was
little the medical community could do to treat it. Brain research was limited
by the tools of the time. Research techniques advanced throughout the twentieth
century, but only in the last few decades have tools such as functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allowed for the imaging of healthy brain
activity. Researchers hope these developments, which have greatly added to our
understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, could also be the key to creating
preventative treatments.
The need for the preventative therapy for Alzheimer’s has
never been so urgent. In the United States alone, the Alzheimer’s Association
predicts a 40%
increase in the incidence of the disease in the coming decade. In
Chicago, where Chicagoland
Methodist Senior Services (CMSS) has been serving older adults for
more than a century, the number of residents over age 85 is predicted to triple by 2040, making
Alzheimer’s and dementia treatments a pressing issue for our city.
“We provide many levels of care for people in all stages of
Alzheimer’s disease at Chicagoland Methodist Senior Services,” said Tricia
Mullin, CMSS Director of Community Relations.
“We see the impact of Alzheimer’s every day, both on the individuals who
experience it and on their loved ones and caregivers. Any significant advance
in treatment or prevention could transform the daily lives of an enormous
number of people in our community and in our city.”
While those with Alzheimer’s have access to medications that
were not available even 20 years ago, these treatments still leave much to be
desired.
“The currently available Alzheimer’s disease medications are
all symptomatic, meaning they lessen symptoms such as memory loss and
confusion,” explains Steve Satek, president of Great Lakes Clinical Trials, an
organization that recently hosted a talk at CMSS about research advancements.
“Unfortunately, they don’t treat it very well; they can temporarily stop
decline for six months to a few years in about half the patients who take them,
but then decline comes back.” But, according to Satek, promising new research
aims to target the source of the disease rather than its symptoms.
“Memory loss is a symptom of the end stage of Alzheimer’s
disease, with the beginning stages marked by the formation of plaques and
tangles in the brain,” Satek explains.
Long before memory loss becomes pronounced in those with
Alzheimer’s disease, brain function is affected on the cellular level by these
plaques and tangles. Recent advances in a specific type of brain imaging,
positron emission tomography (PET) scans, allows researchers to identify these
formations in the brain.
Plaques are formed by clumps of the protein beta-amyloid, which
hinder brain cells’ ability to communicate with each other. Tangles are formed
by a protein called tau. In a healthy brain, tau helps transport nutrients
through brain cells, but in Alzheimer’s disease, the fibers of these proteins
twist, causing cells to die. New efforts to prevent, slow down or halt the
disease target these plaques and tangles before significant memory loss takes
hold.
The progress of current research requires the participation of
both healthy older adults and those experiencing memory loss. In order to
advance their work, researchers require a healthy “standard” by which to
measure changes in the brain and to confirm whether a preventive medication is
effective. The recent presentation hosted at CMSS from Great Lakes Clinical
Trials, a leader in Alzheimer’s prevention research, was an effort to raise
awareness about current developments in Alzheimer’s research and to encourage
individuals in the CMSS community to consider participating.
“Here at CMSS, we want to help stop memory loss before it
begins,” Mullin explained. CMSS has a 117 year heritage of preventive care for
seniors, so hosting presentations from organizations such as Great Lakes
Clinical Trials gives us an opportunity to educate our community about
important research advancements, and to encourage clinical trial participation
when appropriate.”
The public can access information about the latest research
and clinical trials online by visiting TrialMatch®. This free,
user-friendly site created by the Alzheimer’s Association research center helps
patients and caregivers find clinical studies relevant to them. The National
Institute of Health’s clinicaltrials.gov also lists ongoing trials,
and includes information on both recruitment and results.
Great Lakes Clinical Trials is currently
conducting four memory studies and is recruiting healthy older adults, those
beginning to experience mild cognitive impairment, and those diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease. Another preventative study is scheduled to begin in
January. Building awareness of studies like these and increasing enrollment is
critical if research is to accelerate and yield effective treatments.
“We are trying to stop the disease before it takes hold,”
Satek says. “I believe this can happen in the next five to seven years, but one
thing we know for certain is that new medications to prevent or treat
Alzheimer’s disease cannot be developed without the participation in research
from our senior community.”
CMSS’ Mullin agrees: “By taking part in clinical research,
older adults can not only help themselves, but also be a part of improving
people’s lives around the world. It’s important for older adults to know that,
and we’re proud to do our part to spread the word.”
Bill Lowe is the President of
Chicagoland Methodist Senior Services, the largest network of senior services
on Chicago's north side.
Speak Your Mind
Please to post comments.