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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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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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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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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Find out in this infographic from the National Institute on Aging: https://go.usa.gov/xtEmu
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"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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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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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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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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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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