Research

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• Can we develop a new ‘cholesterol test’ for the brain?

Certain proteins found in the brain, notably amyloid and tau (among others), that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases (ND) can now be detected in the blood many years before the onset of AD and other ND. A study funded by our Foundation is testing whether it is possible to collect these proteins from people with varying degrees of risk for AD and other diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). The ability to monitor and track these protein markers in people at-risk may be significant in the future of AD detection and treatment.

For example, researchers can use “N-of-1” or single participant clinical trials that consider an individual patient when evaluating the effectiveness of different interventions on ND risk. Using the patient as the sole unit of observation, the impact of various interventions, such as lifestyle changes (e.g., exercise, nutrition) as well as certain drugs used for other medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, high cholesterol), can be measured based on the change in blood-based markers of ND. Using biomarkers both before and after various lifestyle and medical changes will allow our research team to cost-effectively understand the biological impact of these interventions on AD and other ND pathology (rather than by using tests that are riskier, more cumbersome, and costlier, such as lumbar punctures and brain imaging scans). We have enrolled people aged 40+ with a family history of, or with already diagnosed, AD, PD, LBD, and other ND and will follow these subjects over time.

• Precision Medicine & Genetics Research Program

A foundation-supported research project focuses on the genetic factors that play a role in the development of AD. There are many genes – ranging from those that affect memory to those that affect cholesterol to sleep – that can impact the development of AD. It is our goal to be better able to acquire, store, and analyze whole genome sequencing, as well as partial genome sequencing, in people at risk for or already diagnosed with AD. We have enrolled several families and aim to study how genetic analyses may contribute to personalizing risk reduction care in a clinical research study.