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Alzheimer’s Association Update, November 2010
Volume 6 / Issue 6 / November 2010
2010 International Research Grant Program awards nearly $14 million Eighty-four Alzheimer’s disease (AD) researchers from around the globe have been awarded a total of nearly $14 million in grant funding through the Alzheimer’s Association 2010 International Research Grant Program. Since its founding in 1982, the program has awarded more than $279 million to 1,900-plus best-of-field grant proposals, making the Association the world’s largest private, nonprofit funder of AD research. Funded projects represent the proposals ranked highest by the more than 1,300 reviewers from 30 countries who participated in project evaluation. Thirty-six percent of studies funded in 2010 investigate the underlying pathology of AD, including the effect of beta-amyloid, mediators of toxicity, the adverse effect of beta-amyloid on cell-to-cell communication, and the effect of AD on cellular properties and functions that normally protect and maintain neurons in the brain. Twenty-two percent explore the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the production of beta-amyloid, the abnormal chemical alterations of tau and the normal functions of related proteins implicated in AD pathology. Another 22 percent examine novel treatment strategies and the improvement of clinical trial design. Eight percent study improving care for people with dementia through new technologies and exploring the values and beliefs of diverse cultures that impact use of health services. Seven percent investigate brain imaging, biomarkers and clinical tools that may result in earlier and more accurate diagnoses, timely interventions and effective disease monitoring. The remaining 5 percent examine a variety of factors that may contribute to AD and other dementias, including blood vessel damage and genetic risk factors. Grants were awarded in nine categories. Of the 84 investigators receiving funding, 43 received awards in the category of New Investigator Research Grants, which are intended to provide the next generation of scientists with funding that enables them to gather preliminary data, test procedures and develop hypotheses. These grants advance research while supporting the early-career development of researchers who have earned their doctoral degrees within the last 10 years. Another 24 received Investigator-Initiated Research Grants, which fund established scientists exploring important questions across the entire research spectrum, from basic neurobiology and genetic risk factors to disease-modifying treatments and evidence-based, quality care. The remaining 16 received funding in seven categories, including two grant categories introduced this year: Novel
Pharmacological Strategies to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease (NPSPAD) and Non-Pharmacological Strategies to Ameliorate Symptoms of Alzheimer’s (NPSASA). The NPSPAD grants fund investigators whose work is aimed at the identification and validation of novel drug targets, the screening and development of drugs for such targets, and the evaluation of drug safety and efficacy. The NPSASA grants fund researchers whose work is aimed at the identification, investigation and validation of non-pharmacological approaches to improve the care of people with AD and related disorders. For a list of awardees, visit www.alz.org/research. Letters of intent are being accepted for the 2011 grant program and must be received by January 3, 2011. Visit www.alz.org/ 2011grantprogram for details.
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough RideSM delivers more than 110,000 signatures to Capitol Hill On World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21, the final group of AD researchers cycling in the cross-country Alzheimer’s Association Alzheimer’s Breakthrough RideSM arrived in Washington, D.C., to deliver more than 110,000 signatures to Capitol Hill asking legislators to make AD a national priority. The petition urges Congress to enact the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (S. 3036/H.R. 4689, NAPA) and other key AD legislation. NAPA would establish a National Alzheimer’s Project Office and inter-agency Advisory Council to create a coordinated national plan AD research, care, and related support services. The Project Office would coordinate and evaluate AD efforts across the federal government, including research, clinical care, institutional, and home- and community-based programs and their outcomes. “We need all Americans concerned about AD to tell their representatives in Congress and the president to pass the National Alzheimer’s Project Act as a significant step forward in the fight against Alzheimer’s,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association vice president of public policy. This summer, the Alzheimer’s Association and the AD research community have been working —and cycling— together to do just that. The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride was originally conceived by AD researcher Bruce Lamb, Ph.D., of the Department of Neurosciences at the Lerner Research Institutes of the Cleveland Clinic and the Departments of Neurosciences and Genetics at Case Western Reserve University, who shared the idea with the Alzheimer’s Association and then enlisted the participation of
Alzheimer’s Association / Alzheimer’s & Dementia 6 (2010) 494–495
researchers and scientists from across the country. More than 55 researchers spent 67 days cycling relay-style throughout the United States to raise awareness about AD. “A crisis of this magnitude requires commitment and dedication from all of us—from citizens, the scientific community, business and government,” said Lamb. “The outpouring of support from the public has been overwhelming as we’ve cycled across the country. Now we need elected officials to prove they understand what’s at stake by developing a comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease strategy and investing in research.” The conclusion of the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride coincided with the release of the World Alzheimer Report 2010: The Global Economic Impact of Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), a London-based, nonprofit, international federation of 73 national AD organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association. The report estimates the worldwide costs of dementia in 2010 to total $604 billion. This includes the direct costs of medical care (the costs of treating dementia and other conditions in primary and secondary care settings), direct costs of social care (provided in residential care settings and by community
495
care professionals) and informal care (unpaid care provided by family caregivers and others). “This report clearly illustrates that dementia is already affecting health systems around the world, and for the families who are forced to face AD, the anguish is universal,” said Harry Johns, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO. “The World Alzheimer Report 2010 urges all countries—including the United States—to develop national plans to deal with the disease.” “Given the magnitude and the impact of Alzheimer’s, the U.S. federal government’s response to this crisis has been stunningly neglectful,” said Johns. “We know Alzheimer’s will place a massive strain on an already overburdened healthcare system, especially Medicare and Medicaid. Substantial investment in Alzheimer research is required to avoid an even more painful future for American families and already overwhelmed state and federal budgets. Yet, the government has no national plan for how to deal with this crisis.” Enacting NAPA would help address these issues. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride and download the full ADI report or a report summary, visit www.alz.org.
2010 International Research Grant Program awards nearly $14 million Eighty-four Alzheimer’s disease (AD) researchers from around the globe have been awarded a total of nearly $14 million in grant funding through the Alzheimer’s Association 2010 International Research Grant Program. Since its founding in 1982, the program has awarded more than $279 million to 1,900-plus best-of-field grant proposals, making the Association the world’s largest private, nonprofit funder of AD research. Funded projects represent the proposals ranked highest by the more than 1,300 reviewers from 30 countries who participated in project evaluation. Thirty-six percent of studies funded in 2010 investigate the underlying pathology of AD, including the effect of beta-amyloid, mediators of toxicity, the adverse effect of beta-amyloid on cell-to-cell communication, and the effect of AD on cellular properties and functions that normally protect and maintain neurons in the brain. Twenty-two percent explore the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the production of beta-amyloid, the abnormal chemical alterations of tau and the normal functions of related proteins implicated in AD pathology. Another 22 percent examine novel treatment strategies and the improvement of clinical trial design. Eight percent study improving care for people with dementia through new technologies and exploring the values and beliefs of diverse cultures that impact use of health services. Seven percent investigate brain imaging, biomarkers and clinical tools that may result in earlier and more accurate diagnoses, timely interventions and effective disease monitoring. The remaining 5 percent examine a variety of factors that may contribute to AD and other dementias, including blood vessel damage and genetic risk factors. Grants were awarded in nine categories. Of the 84 investigators receiving funding, 43 received awards in the category of New Investigator Research Grants, which are intended to provide the next generation of scientists with funding that enables them to gather preliminary data, test procedures and develop hypotheses. These grants advance research while supporting the early-career development of researchers who have earned their doctoral degrees within the last 10 years. Another 24 received Investigator-Initiated Research Grants, which fund established scientists exploring important questions across the entire research spectrum, from basic neurobiology and genetic risk factors to disease-modifying treatments and evidence-based, quality care. The remaining 16 received funding in seven categories, including two grant categories introduced this year: Novel
Pharmacological Strategies to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease (NPSPAD) and Non-Pharmacological Strategies to Ameliorate Symptoms of Alzheimer’s (NPSASA). The NPSPAD grants fund investigators whose work is aimed at the identification and validation of novel drug targets, the screening and development of drugs for such targets, and the evaluation of drug safety and efficacy. The NPSASA grants fund researchers whose work is aimed at the identification, investigation and validation of non-pharmacological approaches to improve the care of people with AD and related disorders. For a list of awardees, visit www.alz.org/research. Letters of intent are being accepted for the 2011 grant program and must be received by January 3, 2011. Visit www.alz.org/ 2011grantprogram for details.
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough RideSM delivers more than 110,000 signatures to Capitol Hill On World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21, the final group of AD researchers cycling in the cross-country Alzheimer’s Association Alzheimer’s Breakthrough RideSM arrived in Washington, D.C., to deliver more than 110,000 signatures to Capitol Hill asking legislators to make AD a national priority. The petition urges Congress to enact the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (S. 3036/H.R. 4689, NAPA) and other key AD legislation. NAPA would establish a National Alzheimer’s Project Office and inter-agency Advisory Council to create a coordinated national plan AD research, care, and related support services. The Project Office would coordinate and evaluate AD efforts across the federal government, including research, clinical care, institutional, and home- and community-based programs and their outcomes. “We need all Americans concerned about AD to tell their representatives in Congress and the president to pass the National Alzheimer’s Project Act as a significant step forward in the fight against Alzheimer’s,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association vice president of public policy. This summer, the Alzheimer’s Association and the AD research community have been working —and cycling— together to do just that. The Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride was originally conceived by AD researcher Bruce Lamb, Ph.D., of the Department of Neurosciences at the Lerner Research Institutes of the Cleveland Clinic and the Departments of Neurosciences and Genetics at Case Western Reserve University, who shared the idea with the Alzheimer’s Association and then enlisted the participation of
Alzheimer’s Association / Alzheimer’s & Dementia 6 (2010) 494–495
researchers and scientists from across the country. More than 55 researchers spent 67 days cycling relay-style throughout the United States to raise awareness about AD. “A crisis of this magnitude requires commitment and dedication from all of us—from citizens, the scientific community, business and government,” said Lamb. “The outpouring of support from the public has been overwhelming as we’ve cycled across the country. Now we need elected officials to prove they understand what’s at stake by developing a comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease strategy and investing in research.” The conclusion of the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride coincided with the release of the World Alzheimer Report 2010: The Global Economic Impact of Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), a London-based, nonprofit, international federation of 73 national AD organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association. The report estimates the worldwide costs of dementia in 2010 to total $604 billion. This includes the direct costs of medical care (the costs of treating dementia and other conditions in primary and secondary care settings), direct costs of social care (provided in residential care settings and by community
495
care professionals) and informal care (unpaid care provided by family caregivers and others). “This report clearly illustrates that dementia is already affecting health systems around the world, and for the families who are forced to face AD, the anguish is universal,” said Harry Johns, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO. “The World Alzheimer Report 2010 urges all countries—including the United States—to develop national plans to deal with the disease.” “Given the magnitude and the impact of Alzheimer’s, the U.S. federal government’s response to this crisis has been stunningly neglectful,” said Johns. “We know Alzheimer’s will place a massive strain on an already overburdened healthcare system, especially Medicare and Medicaid. Substantial investment in Alzheimer research is required to avoid an even more painful future for American families and already overwhelmed state and federal budgets. Yet, the government has no national plan for how to deal with this crisis.” Enacting NAPA would help address these issues. To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ride and download the full ADI report or a report summary, visit www.alz.org.