Alzheimer’s disease

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Working first with mice and later with humans, Lee Goldstein of Boston University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center made an extraordinary discovery several years ago //when?//. He found, in the lens of the eye, the toxic protein that triggers Alzheimer’s—the first time the disease has been detected outside the brain. The discovery could change forever the way the disease is diagnosed and treated.

Thanks to research like Goldstein’s, there is new hope for an early Alzheimer’s test—one that could be given to people in their forties or younger, long before noticeable symptoms appear. In the long term, this might prove to be a lifesaver, if people can be diagnosed and treated before the disease has inflicted its cruel damage.

Goldstein and members of his team are conducting clinical trials of a diagnostic procedure they hope will yield an inexpensive, non-invasive test that doctors can administer in their offices when patients come for routine physicals. (Learn more about Goldstein’s research, and other Alzheimer’s-related studies, in BU Research 2009 and the Summer 2009 issue of Campus & Alumni News.)

Goldstein’s research is just one of many projects at Boston University School of Medicine pushing the boundaries of knowledge into the deadly disease of Alzheimer’s.

The School’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center is one of 31 centers in the United States funded by the National Institute on Aging. “This is an exciting time,” says Robert Stern, co-director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical and Research Program. “We are now at a stage of our investigations where there is truly hope for the effective treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Alzheimer’s is a haunting and devastating illness, which strikes often when otherwise healthy individuals are preparing to enjoy the rewards of a long and productive life. The first signs are difficulty remembering names and recent events. It progresses to confusion, impaired judgment, depression, and complete loss of short-term memory. Eventually, patients have difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking. Some 5.3 million Americans—one in every two people over 85—have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. With the aging of the U.S. population, the number of people with the disease could double or triple by 2050, if a cure is not found.

Alzheimer’s is associated with the build-up of plaques containing deposits of protein fragments between nerve cells in the brain. School of Medicine researchers are investigating how the protein functions, how plaques form, and what can be done to disrupt the process. Other researchers are developing and testing new drugs that might slow, prevent, or cure the disease. The complex interplay of genetics and environment in memory loss is being unraveled in a Boston University School of Medicine study—now in its 20th year—of thousands of individuals and their families.

Care for patients—and caregivers

While the race for a cure for Alzheimer’s intensifies, researchers at the School of Medicine are exploring how best to care for the people who already have the disease. Working with patients and caregivers, researchers are crafting new strategies to promote safety for Alzheimer’s patients. At the same time, they are developing plans designed to promote emotional and physical health for patients, as well as those who care for them.

Sample giving opportunities

  • Endow a research fund: $100,000
  • Create and name an endowed professorship for the faculty of the program: $1.25 million for an assistant professor, $2.5 million for a full professor
  • Endow a scholarship for a BUSM student: $100,000
  • Create a current-use fellowship award: $10,000
  • Endow a postdoctoral fellowship: $100,000
  • Provide unrestricted support as a member of the BUSM Dean’s Club: $1,500 and above