Cure Alzheimer's Fund: Targeting Breakthrough Research

Slides from the Webinar

Written by Katie Cutler Tuesday, 27 July 2010 20:45

Thank you to those who attended our Webinar on July 22 titled “Working Toward a Cure for Alzheimer’s: Clues from our Genes”. Below are the slides from the event. Video clips addressing key components of the presentation and blog posts responding to questions from the webinar will be posted shortly.

Click each slide to advance.

Brain Scan Diagnostics for early detection of Alzheimer’s --- a good idea?

Written by Tim Armour Monday, 26 July 2010 11:32

There is debate about this.  A panel of leading Alzheimer’s researchers has recommended new guidelines for earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), including the use of brain imaging.  While most commentators have hailed this news, a few have raised concerns. One of the clearer expositions of this was a Forbes online blog by Robert Langreth on July 15 entitled “A Scary Idea: Pre-emptive Brain Scans for Alzheimer’s.”

Langreth hypothesizes this diagnostic report:
“You feel fine and have no symptoms, but your brain is slowly rotting away. And there is nothing we can do about it.” Maybe he should have added “now”.

What is behind all this, and is this proposal really useful for patients and research?

"CAF's Sam Gandy delivers "Hot Topics" session at International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD)"

Written by Tim Armour Thursday, 15 July 2010 12:00

At ICAD 2010 in Hawaii Dr. Sam Gandy of Cure Alzheimer's Research Consortium presented the results of a study showing a new class of biomarkers that can stick to protein structures in the body and emit colors reflecting the different shapes or forms of the proteins. They are called luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs) or luminescent conjugated polymers (LCPs). Among other uses, they are currently being employed in test tubes, animal models and autopsied Alzheimer’s brains to study the structure of protein deposits caused by the disease. The new markers bind to the two well-established hallmarks of Alzheimer’s – beta amyloid plaques and tau tangles – and glow different colors depending on which forms of the deposits they “stick” to (e.g., plaques often “glow” orange, while tangles glow yellowish green).

Webinar on July 22: "Working Toward a Cure for Alzheimer's: Clues from our Genes" with Doctor Rudy Tanzi

Written by Tim Armour Wednesday, 14 July 2010 20:13

Join us for our 2nd annual webinar on June 22. We will be hosting Dr. Rudy Tanzi, who will present his latest findings in the field of Alzheimer’s disease genetic research. The presentation will include a brief history of Alzheimer’s disease research, an explanation of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, as well as the introduction of his new research on abeta as an anti-microbial agent.

Click HERE to register.

If you are unable to attend the webinar, e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will send you a podcast of the event.

Dr. Rudy Tanzi is the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has been investigating neurodegenerative disease since 1980 when he participated in the pioneering study that led to the location of the Huntington disease gene. He has identified several Alzheimer’s disease genes, including the first Alzheimer’s gene, the beta-amyloid protein precursor (APP). His work in the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, which has identified other new Alzheimer’s genes, was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2008. Dr. Tanzi is a world-renowned leader in the studies of Alzheimer’s disease genetics.

The event will be held online, with each participant connecting through their own computer and telephone. More information on the webinar process can be found at www.gotowebinar.com

If you have any further questions, please contact us Katie Cutler at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it