For immediate release: Nov. 13, 2008
Contact: Anne McMillin, APR
Health Science Communications
Office 775-682-9254
Mobile 702-292-4247
amcmillin@medicine.nevada.edu
Local scientists seek to block progression of Alzheimer's disease
Researchers calling for volunteers for nationwide clinical trial
LAS VEGAS, Nev.— Researchers are conducting studies on an experimental medication to block nerve damage and inflammation in the brain that can lead to progressive memory loss and behavioral changes in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Current Alzheimer’s disease therapies focus on improving symptoms versus attacking the root of the disease progression; 400 volunteers with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease are needed to further test this new approach.
The buildup of plaques can trigger inflammation in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. A protein called amyloid beta builds up in plaque deposits and may promote damage to nerve cells. Researchers will test an experimental drug that seeks to stop amyloid beta from binding to a receptor in the brain called RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts). Douglas Galasko, M.D., Professor of Neurology at University of California, San Diego, is directing the study.
“The evidence from basic research studies is compelling and merits further evaluation in a rigorous human clinical trial,” Galasko said. “While most current Alzheimer’s disease therapies focus on the various symptoms of cognitive impairment, this trial is testing whether we can modify actual progression of the disease itself by targeting the interaction between amyloid beta and an important receptor in the brain.”
The industry-sponsored study is being conducted by the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), a consortium of leading researchers supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of National Institutes of Health. The ADCS at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) will coordinate the 18-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
The study will recruit the 400 volunteers aged 50 and up at 40 sites nationwide, including the University of Nevada School of Medicine’s Las Vegas campus. The ADCS consortium is a public resource, supported by the NIA, to facilitate the study of potential new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Its nationwide outreach is critical to the recruitment of participants into such studies.
Physicians and nurses will monitor the participants during regular visits and measure the severity and progression of disease using standard tests of functional and cognitive abilities. To ensure unbiased results, neither the researchers conducting the trial nor the participants will know who is receiving the study drug and who is getting the placebo.
“In addition to monitoring disease progression through cognitive tests, we will examine various biological markers of the disease,” said Charles Bernick, M.D, local principal investigator at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. “These include the degree of atrophy (or shrinkage) of the brain as measured by magnetic resonance imaging, the extent of amyloid buildup in the brain assessed by Positron Emission Tomography imaging, and levels of amyloid beta and other proteins in blood and spinal fluid.”
To learn how to participate in the study, contact NIA’s Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at 1-800-438-4380 or by email to adear@nia.nih.gov. To view a list of the research sites or for information on dementia and aging, go to http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers.
As the state’s only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been a leader in healthcare, medical education and research in Nevada since 1969. The School of Medicine includes 16 clinical departments including family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, surgery, and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and five nationally recognized departments in basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering. The more than 185 doctors of University Health System, the school’s clinical practice, offer care in more than 40 medical specialties and subspecialties with eight physician offices in the Reno/Sparks area and seven in Las Vegas. The school is committed to a best practices approach to medicine and is dedicated to exceptional healthcare for Nevada now and in the future. For more information visit www.medicine.nevada.edu.