The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is releasing a sum of approximately $45 million--the largest grant it has given so far-- to chosen studies focusing on the prevention of Alzheimer's disease as well as the identification and validation of biomarkers.
Six studies reflecting the goals of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease will benefit from the $40 million allocation from NIH and $5 million from the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
“As many as 5 million Americans face the challenge of Alzheimer’s disease, which robs them of their memories, their independence, and ultimately, their lives,” NIH director Dr. Collins said in a press release. “We are determined, even in a time of constrained fiscal resources, to capitalize on exciting scientific opportunities to advance understanding of Alzheimer’s biology and find effective therapies as quickly as possible.”
The largest grant amounting to $33.2 million just for 2013 goes to a study led by Drs. Eric Reiman and Pierre Tariot of Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Phoenix, Ariz. Their study will be testing an anti-amyloid drug to participants not yet diagnosed with Alzheimer but considered high risk because of the presence of APOE4 allele.
The APOE4 is a biomarker previously recognized by the NIH/NIA. In previous studies, researchers found the gene in about 25 to 30 percent of the population. They also found that 40 percent of the participants who developed Alzheimer's disease have it in their bloodstream.
The anti-amyloid drug developed by Reiman's team targets to control APOE4 which they will be testing in multiple sites. Each participant will be undergoing cognitive assessments, brain scanning and cerebrospinal fluid measurements to see the effectiveness of the treatment. Once successful, it will surely open more doors for different biomarker studies and the creation of better prevention therapies.
Other beneficiaries are the Washington University, St. Louis ($1.5 million), University of Southern Calif., L.A ($2.4 million), Harvard University, Boston ($1.7 million), Icahn School of Medicine of Mt. Sinai, NYC ($1.6 million), and the University of Fla. ($1.6 million).
"We know that Alzheimer’s-related brain changes take place years, even decades, before symptoms appear. That really may be the optimal window for drugs that delay progression or prevent the disease altogether,” said NIA Director Dr. Richard Hodes in a statement. “The clinical trials getting under way with these funds will test treatments in symptom-free volunteers at risk for the disease, or those in the very earliest stages — where we hope we can make the biggest difference.”
