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MIND Matters | Quarterly Newsletter | Winter 2023

By Commentary, Community Events, COVID-19, In the News, Participants
Message from the Director Dear Friends of UCI MIND, Advances in the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research and the contributions of UCI MIND investigators remain tremendously exciting. Two new drugs have been approved by the FDA (page 3). These approvals are believed by many to represent the dawn of a new age in AD research and treatment. Both drugs received accelerated approval and we await a decision from the FDA about “full approval” for lecanemab. If received, full approval could cause the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to revisit their previous coverage decision about anti-amyloid antibody therapies. These…
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Inaugural recipient of the UCI MIND Joan and Don Beall Scholar Award

By Carousel Slider, In the News
The UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) is pleased to announce that the inaugural recipient of the “UCI MIND Joan and Don Beall Scholar Award” is S. Ahmad Sajjadi, MD, PhD. Dr. Sajjadi is an Associate Professor of Neurology in the UCI School of Medicine. A clinician scientist with an established track record of studying different neurodegenerative pathologies across the aging spectrum, Dr. Sajjadi has demonstrated himself as an outstanding investigator and an important contributor to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research and clinical care at UCI. He is an investigator in the UCI Alzheimer’s…
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A4 Study Releases Negative Results

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
The topline results for the Anti-Amyloid treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) study were released today (https://a4study.org). Unfortunately, the drug being investigated, solanezumab, failed to demonstrate a benefit in slowing memory changes in a population of individuals age 65-to-85 who met criteria for preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Preclinical Alzheimer’s is a relatively new construct. It includes people who are older and have normal memory performance, but in whom biological tests suggest that the risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia is high. The A4 study was among the first ever preclinical AD trials, boldly blazing a trail that has now been followed by…
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UCI MIND faculty member awarded grant to study patient reactions to Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses

By Carousel Slider, In the News
Dr. Joshua Grill and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh have been awarded a 3.5 million dollar grant by the National Institute on Aging to advance the field’s understanding of real-world patient and family member reactions to biomarker-informed Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) diagnoses and to provide critical information for directing post-diagnostic resources to monitor and support those most in need. Read the full news story about this important research here Joshua D. Grill, PhDDirector, UCI MIND; Professor, Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Neurobiology and Behaviorphoto: Steve Zylius/UCI  
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No change in coverage yet for monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
On February 17, 2023, a bipartisan group of Senators sent the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Javier Baccera, and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, a letter requesting that CMS reconsider their decision to require Coverage with Evidence Determination (CED) that was levied after the accelerated approval of aducanumab. The letter followed a similar request from the Alzheimer’s Association, made in December 2022. The CED decision significantly limited access to aducanumab and other monoclonal antibodies (should they be approved), requiring that coverage would be granted only if Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in…
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The family of Bruce Willis shared that he has FTD, what’s that?

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a form of dementia that typically affects individuals in their 50s and 60s. It is therefore, commonly referred to as young onset dementia. Clinically, FTD can present in two ways; some patients present with behavioral impairment and are referred to as behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD). The other main presentation involves language decline and is called primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Both conditions start insidiously and accurate diagnosis can be a challenge, especially at early stages of the disease. In bvFTD, patients can present with apathy, lack of empathy, increased appetite, preference for sweet tooth, new onset of…
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Support from Joan and Don Beall will sustain two UCI MIND programs

By Carousel Slider, In the News
In July 2022, students from Santa Ana and Anaheim high schools learn about neuroanatomy as part of the UCI MIND Beall Scholar Program to Inspire Future STEM Leaders. Support from Joan and Don Beall will allow for the program to continue. UCI MIND Irvine, Calif., Jan. 31, 2023 — Sustained support from philanthropists Joan and Don Beall to the the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders will allow for the continuation of an educational outreach program in Orange County high schools and the creation of a new research award for an early career researcher. “We are grateful for the…
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UCI MIND Faculty leads study to model sporadic Alzheimer’s disease in degus

By Carousel Slider, In the News
UCI School of Medicine highlighted innovative research performed in the lab of Xiangmin Xu, PhD, UCI MIND faculty member and professor and Chancellor’s Fellow of anatomy and neurobiology in the UCI School of Medicine.  Dr. Xu and colleagues have found that sporadic Alzheimer's disease can be modeled in a non-murine rodent called the Chilean degu. "Our findings, taken together, show spontaneous AD-like correlative phenotypes in cognitive performance and neuropathology in aged, outbred degus. This supports that aged degus are a useful and practical model of natural sporadic AD." Xiangmin Xu Read the article in the February edition of the UCI School…
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FDA decides not to grant accelerated approval to donanemab

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
In a somewhat surprising move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to grant accelerated approval to Eli Lilly’s donanemab Read the full press release from Eli Lilly here Like aducanumab and lecanemab, which were previously granted accelerated approval by the FDA, donanemab is a monoclonal antibody treatment against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Eli Lilly published very promising results for donanemab in 2021, which included demonstration that donanemab could lower amyloid levels in the brain of people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia (the basis for…
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Healthy, Drug-Resistant Microglia Reinvigorate Mouse Brain

By Carousel Slider, In the News
Only Mutants. While wild-type human microglia perished in mice after two months of CSF1R inhibitor treatment (left), G795A microglia expanded to fill the entire brain (green, right). UCI MIND faculty member and professor, Mathew Blurton-Jones, PhD, is featured in AlzForum for his lab's recent collaborative work on creating a new strain of resistant microglia. Lead author and graduate student in the Blurton-Jones lab, Jean Paul Chadarevian, along with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania published their innovative work in Journal of Experimental Medicine in the December 2022 issue. Read the full article here >
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FDA grants accelerated approval to lecanemab

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
January 6, 2023 – Today, as expected, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab was approved on the basis of the treatment’s demonstrated effect of lowering levels of brain amyloid, as measured by a type of brain scan known as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Lecanemab is now approved for the treatment of patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, and should be used in patients in whom that same amyloid PET brain scan (or measures…
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Alzheimer’s research in people with Down syndrome benefits all

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Elizabeth Head, PhD UCI MIND Faculty Member Elizabeth Head, PhD was featured in the Akron Beacon Journal: I recently interviewed Dr. Elizabeth Head, a neuropathology core co-investigator at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at University of California, Irvine. While she collaborates with researchers studying Alzheimer's in the general population, her research is focused specifically on the Down syndrome population. Her team and others are conducting longitudinal studies, in which volunteers with Down syndrome participate for many years, discovering relevant data that are the building blocks for future treatments. Read the full article here >
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Two New Stabs at Vaccinating People Against Pathologic Tau

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Bells and Whistles. ACI-35.030 includes a phospho-tau peptide anchored to a liposomal bilayer, along with two adjuvants and a non-target T cell epitope to rally B cells to churn out antibodies against phospho-tau. The work of our faculty, researchers, and collaborators was highlighted in a recent Alzforum article on anti-tau vaccines. AC Immune updates Phase 1b/2 comparison of two anti-#tau vaccines. A liposomal vaccine prompted #antibody response against phospho-tau. Preclinical data bode well for another tau vaccine; first trial slated for next year. Read more >
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Dare We Say Consensus Achieved: Lecanemab Slows the Disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UCI MIND Director Joshua Grill, PhD is featured in and comments on Alzforum's report on "convincing and noteworthy" lecanemab results. The slightly larger effect on ADLs caught the interest of some scientists, since these can feel most important to participants. “ indicates that patients and families could benefit from slowing of observable functional worsening,” Joshua Grill of the University of California, Irvine, wrote to Alzforum (full comments below). Read his commentary here > Read the full article here > Diverging Trajectories. People on lecanemab worsened more slowly on the CDR-SB than did people on placebo, resulting in a quarter less progression…
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MIND Matters | Quarterly Newsletter | Fall 2022

By Commentary, Community Events, COVID-19, In the News, Participants
Message from the Director Dear Friends of UCI MIND, As the fall MIND Matters newsletter goes to print, many of us are preparing to travel to San Francisco for the annual Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) meeting, where we will hear important results from recently completed Phase 3 clinical trials of potential new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This includes trials of lecanemab (page 1) as well as other treatments. The topline results for lecanemab announced by the trial sponsors are exciting and suggest that lecanemab may slow the progression of AD. The availability of treatments to slow the…
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This 100-Year-Old Woman Has 2 Secrets for a Long Life

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Eat This, Not That! "According to a study performed by UCI MIND and presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, there's a connection between longevity and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol. (Let's stress the "moderate.") The research involved individuals 90+ years of age. In this particular study, participants who drank approximately two glasses of wine or beer were linked to an 18% decreased risk of early mortality. So sipping in moderation can be a good thing!" Learn more here >  Learn about The 90+ Study here >
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Controversial Alzheimer’s drug approval sparks surprising impact

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
“Alzheimer’s is the most important medical condition society faces and we need an army of citizen volunteers to participate in drug trials,” said UCI MIND’s Joshua Grill, with study leader Marina Ritchie. UCI MIND When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave controversial accelerated approval to the first Alzheimer’s drug in nearly 20 years, it had a surprising impact on attitudes about research into the disease. A survey by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists has found news coverage of the FDA’s decision made the public less willing to volunteer for Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical trials. The study was conducted by the UCI…
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CTAD Abuzz

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD On the opening night of the Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) meeting, a packed room was abuzz with excitement. The evening included five presentations related to the Phase 3 CLARITY-AD trial of lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody against the beta amyloid protein that builds up in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. The excitement and anticipation were palpable, since the sponsor of the trial, Eisai, had announced in September that the results were positive. The presentations were accompanied by the full publication of the results in the New England Journal of Medicine and coverage…
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Are there new safety concerns for Lecanemab?

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD and David Sultzer, MD An article in ScienceInsider, a news outlet published by Science magazine, reports on an unpublished case of a person who died after treatment with the monoclonal antibody lecanemab. There are two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s dementia: amyloid-beta protein deposits known as plaques, and tangles of a protein called tau, but several potential antibody therapies target just amyloid. KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE SOURCE Lecanemab is a promising investigational treatment, seemingly poised for FDA approval as a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Topline results were announced in September that indicated lecanemab had been shown to slow progression of…
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Learning Alzheimer’s Risk

By Carousel Slider, In the News
The actor Chris Hemsworth recently publicly disclosed that he learned that he carries two copies of the Alzheimer’s disease risk gene Apolipoprotein  (APOE) e4 (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/chris-hemsworth-discovers-risk-alzheimers-disease-series-limitless-93442609). We’ve previously discussed direct-to-consumer genetic testing that includes the option for APOE testing on the UCI MIND blog (https://mind.uci.edu/fda-approves-23andme-limited-direct-consumer-genetic-risk-testing/). APOE is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. People who carry one or two copies of the e4 allele are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, while people who carry the e2 allele are at lower risk (most people carry two copies of the e3 allele). But people with e4 don’t always develop…
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Untreated Sleep Apnea May Increase Dementia Risk

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Healthline - “There is a lot of evidence that links sleep apnea to Alzheimer’s disease risk,” added Bryce Mander, Ph.D, assistant professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. “But there is limited data on the beneficial effects of sleep apnea treatment on risk for dementia.” He continued: “This study offers proof of concept evidence that treating sleep apnea may reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk. also offers potential novel molecular targets for future study for those where positive airway pressure treatment is not feasible.” Read more here >  
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The Case for Disclosing Biomarker Results to Alzheimer’s Research Participants

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, Community Events, In the News
UCI MIND Director Joshua Grill, PhD and Jason Karlawish, PhD, Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center were featured in a recent podcast episode for the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center: The Case for Disclosing Biomarker Results to Alzheimer's Research Participants. Listen here > Did you know that UCI MIND has its own podcast specifically for caregivers called, Spotlight on Care? Listen to "Keeping the Holidays and Celebrations Happy, Healthy and Safe, with Dr. Miriam Galindo" and tell us what you think.
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Topline results announced for Phase 3 trial of gantenerumab

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD On November 14, Roche announced negative topline results for their GRADUATE program testing gantenerumab, a monoclonal antibody against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The program included two phase 3 trials (GRADUATE 1 and GRADUATE 2). As with other recent trials, the studies included patients with “early Alzheimer’s disease,” including people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and mild dementia. The trials were large and lengthy, with 1965 participants (across the two studies) who were followed for 27 months. According to the press release, participants randomized to gantenerumab demonstrated…
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The Latest on Alzheimer’s Disease: What Researchers Are Learning About the Disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
"Researchers are working hard to find a cure to Alzheimer's disease … Through their efforts, new research and studies have proven helpful in ways to prevent the disease and even possible treatments. We learn about these findings from our panel of medical experts …. We also discuss The 90+ Study, which studies people over the age of ninety, how they live to that age, and whether their minds show any signs of decline. … Guests: Dr. Ahmad Sajjadi, Cognitive Neurologist, Associate Professor of Neurology and Pathology, University of California, Irvine…." Learn more here >
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The #1 Thing You Can Do to Lower Your Dementia Risk

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Eat This, Not That! - Nov. 1, 2022 'An increase in dementia cases is alarming, especially since there's no cure and Dr. Michael Yassa, neurobiologist and director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine shares why there's an uptick. "Remember that the biggest risk factor is age, and we are an aging population. Advances in medical care have managed to extend our lifespan beyond anything we could have ever imagined a hundred or two hundred years ago. So the prevalence of dementia is increasing because we have more and more people…
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New treatments will have possible risks, along with potential benefits

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD and David Sultzer, MD A recent article in STAT highlights potential safety risks for anti-amyloid therapies, the frequent subject of postings in the UCI MIND blog. The focus of the article is on one patient who died after taking the anti-amyloid antibody lecanemab, a drug that was recently announced to have positive results in a Phase 3 clinical trial and is the treatment being tested in the AHEAD Study ongoing at UCI MIND and elsewhere. The patient experienced bleeding in the brain. APSTOCK As described in the article, the case was complicated but potentially important.…
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MIND Matters | Quarterly Newsletter | Summer 2022

By Commentary, Community Events, COVID-19, In the News, Participants
Message from the Director Dear Friends of UCI MIND, We hope that you had a summer full of sun, fun, and good health. As you can see in this issue of MIND Matters, it has been a busy summer here at UCI MIND. Our investigators played a prominent role at the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), a focus of this issue (p 1, 3, 6, and 7). We’re very proud of our own Maria Corrada, ScD, who played a role in planning this important meeting (p 1 and 7), as well as the many researchers who presented their work.…
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Recent grant success

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
University of California, Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman states: "Our faculty continues to do a tremendous job of winning research grants, the lifeblood of our research efforts. In just the last couple of months...our renowned Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, known as UCI MIND, received a grant of $47 million from the National Institute on Aging; an interdisciplinary UCI team will receive $10 million from the National Institutes of Health...Clearly, the future of science at UCI is very bright indeed." The UCI research team is directed by (seated, from left) Frank LaFerla, Andrea Tenner and Kim Green. Other investigators…
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Summer 2022 Edition of MIND Matters is out!

By Commentary, Community Events, In the News
The newest edition of MIND Matters is now available to view digitally and will arrive in mailboxes soon! This issue is a special edition on Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) and covers: UCI MIND converges upon San Diego for AAIC Buzzworthy Brain News Evening on the Peninsula Michael Chang Foundation A December to Remember is back! In-person! Bright MINDs Shine at AAIC Spotlight on 90+ Learn more here > Donate to UCI MIND here > 
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UCI MIND Faculty Responds to AlzForum Article: How Will Alzheimer’s Trials, Treatment Change in 2023 and Beyond?

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Responding to an article written in AlzForum on the future of Alzheimer's treatment and research from October 7th, Joshua Grill, PhD, from UCI MIND, and his colleague, Jason Karlawish, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania, write: Josh Grill, Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behaviorphoto: Steve Zylius/UCI "Anticipation that FDA will grant full approval of lecanemab (or another disease-modifying treatment) invites an exciting but challenging thought exercise: How will such treatments change research and practice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? We’ve considered some of the issues. Our top line point is that a new disease-slowing treatment is unlikely to make use of placebo…
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Laguna Woods resident endured horrors of Holocaust and got a fresh start in the U.S.

By Carousel Slider, In the News, Participants
Then and now: Laguna Woods resident Helen Weil plays accordion as a young woman and today, 80 years apart. Weil turned 101 this year. She survived the Nazis in Germany but lost her parents and older sister. (Photo by Daniella Walsh) When Weil was in her 90s, she enrolled in the 90+ Study, a UC Irvine program initiated in 2003 to study “the oldest-old.” The program started in 1981 as the Leisure World Cohort Study, in which Leisure World residents in their 90s filled out surveys about what contributed to their longevity. … UCI researchers visit participants every six months…
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The need for more diversity in Alzheimer’s research

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, MPH, Hye-Won Shin, PhD, and Joshua Grill, PhD Recent papers in JAMA Network Open and JAMA Neurology further our understanding of potential differences among self-reported racial and ethnic groups in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. The two new papers add to a growing literature that suggest AD biomarkers may work differently in people of different races. Perhaps the most consistent finding so far is that people who self-report as Black may have lower levels of phosphorylated tau in the cerebrospinal fluid and now (in the paper from colleagues at Emory University) in the plasma. As noted by…
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Electronic medical records cannot deliver results with compassion

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD An article in the October 3 New York Times highlights recent developments in providing patients legal access to their medical records. Brought about by the 21St Century Cures Act, this effort aims to remove barriers to citizens having access to their own health data. Implementation of the 21St Century Cures Act essentially mandates that medical test results be made available through electronic health records in near real time, giving patients access almost immediately to their health information without context. This is producing challenges for clinicians and their practices. Photo credit: The New York Times Some…
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UCI MIND Partners with HFC for “10th Birthday Extravaganza”

By Commentary, Community Events, In the News
On Saturday, October 1st, UCI MIND participated in the HFC “10th Birthday Extravaganza,”  hosted by Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen. The event raised critical dollars for HFC’s caregiver respite and education programs. This includes HFC’s funding of the UCI MIND Research And Mentorship Program with the School of Medicine and several of the trainees were able to attend this star-studded evening in Los Angeles. The night of laughter and music also gave UCI MIND the opportunity to talk about our research, share who we are with the community, and allowed attendees (including Mr. Rogen) the opportunity to hold a human brain. We thank…
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Testing effective treatments as potential preventions

By Commentary, In the News, Participants
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD Since Wednesday’s announcement by Eisai and Biogen of positive topline Phase 3 results for their treatment lecanemab in early Alzheimer’s disease, the field has been markedly aligned. Most agree that we need to see the data but that this seems to be a clear win and an important step in a positive direction. Some debates have begun, and more will happen, about the size and meaning of the win—that is, the size of the drug’s disease-slowing effects and the clinical meaningfulness. These debates will be extremely important but will take time. Joshua Grill, PhD Combined…
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Eisai and Biogen announce positive Phase 3 results for lecanemab

By Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD Today, Eisai and Biogen announced that the topline results of their Phase 3 trial, known as CLARITY, were positive. CLARITY was a placebo-controlled double-blind study of the monoclonal antibody against the amyloid beta protein lecanemab in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab has been shown previously to reduce amyloid burden in the brain of patients with symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. According to today’s press release, lecanemab was effective in slowing decline measured with the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), compared to placebo. This scale has been suggested by the…
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Watch out, Alzheimer’s! Big new grant at UCI, new drug trial at Hoag coming for you

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UC Irvine, a longtime hub of Alzheimer’s investigation, has been awarded a $47 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to support a team developing next-generation mouse models for studying late-onset Alzheimer’s. … “It’s an incredibly exciting time, and there’s a lot of promise,” said Joshua Grill, director of UCI’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. … The project’s next phase will be co-directed by Frank LaFerla, dean of the School of Biological Sciences; Andrea Tenner, a Distinguished Professor of molecular biology and biochemistry; and Kim Green, a professor of neurobiology and behavior. To learn more, click here >
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UCI Alzheimer’s project wins $47 million grant from National Institute on Aging

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Scientists will develop mouse models to help unravel most common form of disease The UCI research team is directed by (seated, from left) Frank LaFerla, Andrea Tenner and Kim Green. Other investigators include (standing, from left) Marcelo Wood, Arthur Lander, Grant MacGregor, Ian Smith, Vivek Swarup, Craig Stark, Andre Obenaus and Ali Mortazavi. UCI School of Biological Sciences What began with a $70,000 philanthropic gift 12 years ago has grown into the recipient of a $47 million National Institute on Aging grant for Alzheimer’s disease research at the University of California, Irvine. The funds will be parceled out over five…
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UCI is key member of multi-institutional, $126 million NIH brain mapping project

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Campus to receive $10 million over five years for role in Cell Atlas Network UCI research team members will manage brain sample acquisition, processing and characterization as part of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network project. They are (from left) Ed Monuki, Elizabeth Head, William Yong, Xiangmin Xu, Craig Stark, Hannah Lui Park and Robert Edwards, along with Mari Perez-Rosendahl (not pictured). Steve Zylius / UCI The University of California, Irvine will participate in a five-year, multi-institutional, $126 million grant from the National Institutes of Health supporting the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network. The project aims to describe the cells…
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Spotlight on Care: Alzheimer’s Caregiving ranked #9 in 25 Best Alzheimer Podcasts!

By Commentary, Community Events, In the News
Feedspot, an RSS service recently released its top 25 Alzheimer’s Podcasts on the web and UCI MIND’s Spotlight On Care: Alzheimer’s Caregiving was ranked 9th among the podcasts they reviewed. Feedspot reviewed all sites based on traffic, social media, followers, domain authority and freshness. This ranking is particularly noteworthy since the many of the other podcasts have been producing content for several years, some for over a decade. Spotlight on Care was launched in 2021 and now has thousands of downloads and over 25 episodes with excellent advice and tips for dementia and Alzheimer’s caregivers. Please listen for free at spotlightoncare.com and let your…
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25 Best Alzheimer Podcasts

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UCI MIND's podcast, Spotlight on Care: Alzheimer's Caregiving, was featured in a list of the top Alzheimer's podcasts by Feedspot. The best Alzheimer podcast list is curated from thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. Watch our latest episodes at spotlightoncare.com. 9. Spotlight on Care: Alzheimer's Caregiving  Irvine, California, US Welcome to Spotlight on Care, the podcast where we share stories, experiences, tips, and advice on caring for loved ones affected by Alzheimer's and other dementias. Spotlight on Care is produced by the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments…
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33rd Annual SoCal Alzheimer’s Disease Research Conference

By Commentary, Community Events, In the News
On Friday, September 9th, 2022, UCI MIND, Alzheimer’s Orange County, and the Alzheimer’s Association Orange County Chapter hosted the 33rd Annual Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease Research Conference at the Irvine Marriott. This year’s conference titled, “Dementia Across the Lifespan”, was the first one held in person in 3 years and was simultaneously live streamed to a virtual audience.  The theme of the conference addressed different forms of dementia, contextualized by their typical age of onset.  As with previous years, the line-up of speakers was outstanding. The day kicked off with a presentation from esteemed UC Irvine Professor of Pathology and UCI MIND faculty…
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Predicting real world spatial disorientation in Alzheimer’s disease patients using virtual reality navigation tests

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Illustration of SHQ. (a) Wayfinding level 6, where locations of three numbered checkpoints are first shown on a map. After the map disappears, participants have to navigate the boat to the numbered checkpoints in order, (b) Flare level 9, where participants navigate the boat from a starting location along the river, until they find a flare gun. Once found, the boat rotates by 180° clockwise and the participants are asked to shoot the gun in the direction of the starting location. Vaisakh Puthusseryppady, a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior writes:…
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Early Adversity and Brain Development

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Early life adversities can have a lifelong impact. Tallie Z. Baram, distinguished professor in the Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Pediatrics, Neurology, and Physiology & Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine, determines why. Listen here > Prof. Tallie Z. Baram Prof. Tallie Z. Baram is the Danette Shepard Professor of Neurological Sciences, with appointments in several departments at UCI. Baram is a developmental neuroscientist and child neurologist and has focused her efforts on the influence of early-life experiences on the developing brain, and on the underlying mechanisms. She is studying this broad topic in two contexts: a) How early-life…
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2022 Beall Scholars Program

By Commentary, Community Events, In the News
With the generous support of Don and Joan Beall, UCI MIND and its trainee organization REMIND hosted the second annual and first-ever in-person Beall Scholar Program July 18-22 on the UCI campus. The goal of the program is to inspire students who are typically underrepresented in STEM fields to pursue careers in brain research and geriatric medicine.  Sixteen rising 12th graders were chosen from a very competitive pool of applicants from Santa Ana and Anaheim Unified School Districts.  Fifty percent of the chosen scholars will be the first in their family to attend college. The program included lectures from UCI MIND faculty and trainees…
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UCI research study links ALS to immune system dysfunction

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Findings show bone marrow transplantation may be a novel treatment approach July 12, 2022 Albert LaSpada, MD, PhD, distinguished professor of pathology, neurology and biological chemistry in the UCI School of Medicine, is one of the first researchers to examine whether some forms of ALS could be linked to the body's adaptive immune system, which builds up protection as it is exposed to foreign pathogens. Orange, Calif. — The immune system, along with the body's central nervous system, may play a fundamental role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting that bone marrow transplants may be an effective new treatment for the…
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