Research into Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted by Dr. Robert A. Stern on 18 November 2008 | 35 Comments

Today, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. The number of individuals affected by this disease is expected to grow to over 7 million by the year 2030. Scientists around the world and right here in Boston are working to find treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and there is cause for hope. There are several medications currently in the final stages of clinical trials. What makes these new medications so exciting is that they are aimed at actually altering the progression of the disease.

Treatments currently in clinical trials focus on slowing the progression of the disease. New medications are primarily aimed at decreasing the amount of beta amyloid in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Beta amyloid is a protein that accumulates in the brain when someone has Alzheimer’s disease. One theory holds that the accumulation of the protein begins a cascade of events in the brain that eventually leads to the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease such as memory loss and dementia. Researchers are also developing medications to target another protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease called tau. This approach also seems to be very promising.

One study currently at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, an affiliate of Senior Living Residences, is investigating a new drug, Bapineuzumab. The ICARA (Investigational Clinical Amyloid Research in Alzheimer’s) study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Bapineuzumab in slowing the progression of the disease.

Bapineuzumab is an antibody that may increase the clearance of beta amyloid from the brain. The study has been referred to as a “Vaccine Study”, but is not the typical vaccine given to prevent disease, rather it is a passive immunotherapy used to treat people who already have the disease. Eligible participants must have a diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, and have a caregiver who can accompany them to study visits.
The discovery of potential new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is on the horizon. This will then make a tremendous difference in the lives of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as for the family members of those with this devastating disease. However, the only way we can find out if these new medications are both effective and safe is for people to participate in clinical trials research.

For more information about research programs at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, contact Stephanie Sikora at 617-414-1078 or sasikora@bu.edu.

Links:
http://www.bu.edu/alzresearch
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov