Alzheimer’s Association International Conference – Days 1 & 2

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AAIC, alzheimers, alzheimers association international conference, alzheimers research, dementia, lewy body dementia, parkinsons

This is a big week in the world of Alzheimer’s research. More than 4,000 scientists hailing from at least 65 countries are gathered in Washington, DC, for the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. From Sunday until Thursday, the most brilliant minds in science, almost half from outside the United States, will collaborate in the interest of advancing Alzheimer’s research.

Hopeful News

In this NPR article, Marcia Taylor of biotech company Treventis describes a compound they are currently working on that targets both beta-amyloid and tau to prevent tangles from forming. According to Taylor, the compound works in a test tube and is now being tested in animals.

Fernando Goni of NYU describes a potential treatment that could help not only people with Alzheimer’s, but also individuals living with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia – an exciting prospect. Goni’s monoclonal antibodies work like “guided missiles to find and neutralize” tau and amyloid clumps in the brain. He says studies in mice indicate the treatment can actually reverse symptoms of the disease.

Image Source: http://www.alz.org

Finally, a potential treatment comes from NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals. When Beka Solomon was a researcher Tel Aviv University in Israel, she accidentally discovered that a virus she was using for another purpose seemed to reverse Alzheimer’s in mice. Additional research yielded a treatment that appears to work for both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. NeuroPhage plans enroll participants in Phase 1 trails in 2016