Foundation Mission Statement
The mission of The John Douglas French
Alzheimer’s Foundation is to provide seed money for promising research and
scientists in the State of California who might not otherwise be funded. It is our objective to support
cutting edge research, individually or in a collaborative effort, which can
expedite the day when we might delay the onset and advancement, and find a
cure for Alzheimer’s.
About Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slow,
progressive brain disease characterized by changes in behavior and personality and a
decline in thinking abilities that cannot be reversed. AD is currently responsible for
over 100,000 deaths each year in the U.S.
The American population is aging at
a rate never seen before in recorded history. For the baby boomers, successfully living to
85 may only mean becoming one of the projected 14 million who will be dying with AD.
Until recently, compassion, care and
understanding were our only means to assist AD patients. Now, through research, we have a
better understanding of how to diagnose AD, analyze the biochemical changes, and study the
factors responsible for these changes.
This debilitating disease will reach epidemic
proportions with the advancing growth of our senior population. In addition, the related
costs of $100 billion annually are predicted to double within the next 10 years. We
must advance the research ... NOW!
Meeting the Challenge — Supporting
Cutting-Edge Research
by Mike Minchin, Jr.
President
Several months ago The Wall Street Journal
ran two articles pertinent to our Foundation. One article stated, "As the
competition for government grants gets tighter, young scientists are quitting
academia which, in turn, is causing a wave of anxiety in the ranks of
biomedical research." These young scientists are important as they form
the labor pool within the university for most of the scientific research.
Often they have the most creative ideas. History is replete with examples of
scientists making huge breakthroughs in their 20s and 30s. This is the very
segment we support with our Adopt-A-Scientist program for post-doctoral
scientists (Nineteen during 2004-2005; 148 to-date. See page 3).
Another article from The Wall Street
Journal addressed "The fevered debate of Alzheimer’s origins…(which
has)…caused deep divisions." The current leading theory that has
captured a majority of the funding is that Alzheimer’s is caused by the
accumulation in the brain of sticky plaques made of a protein called beta-amyloid.
This leaves valuable areas of potential virtually without funds. Since our
mission is cutting-edge research, we often fund areas not currently in vogue
and not being funded by the N.I.H. or pharmaceutical companies. In the
instance of the beta-amyloid controversy, we are funding alternative
potentials, too, and finding some positive results (see Item 6).
In addition to the 19 cutting-edge research
projects being conducted by our post-graduate fellows, here are a few others
we are currently funding – each of exciting potential:
1. Testosterone Jell –
A study using testosterone jell applied to the chest improved "quality
of life" of participants. Initial results are encouraging and will be
published in 6-7 months.
2. Ginkgo Biloba –
Researchers found significant improvement in verbal recall among a group of
people with age-associated memory impairment who took this herbal supplement
for 6 months.
3. Ketone Bodies –
This ongoing study testing a new approach to treating dementia is attracting
wide and very favorable attention in a quest for metabolic therapy for brain
cells that are, for various reasons, starving because they can’t
adequately access the energy latent in blood sugar.
4. Curcumin – This
powerful anti-oxidant and herb is proving to be a helpful therapy in
preventing Alzheimer’s disease in animal models. Since there are no
apparent side effects a human controlled blind study is underway.
5. Homocysteines –
Previously high homocysteine levels have been identified as a marker for
heart attacks and stroke. Now, funding by our Foundation has helped to
accumulate a significant body of evidence to suggest that blood levels of
this chemical may promote the development of dementia. Importantly, there
are medications available that can effectively lower homocysteine levels.
6. Anti-Amyloid Study
– The amyloid supporters focus on one node in a network of possible causes
of Alzheimer’s disease. This explanation proposes the prime mover in this
disease is oxidation damage to neurons. The plaque material acts as an
anti-oxidant. What the amyloid people may be doing is killing what is
necessary. It is a fresh, unexamined idea. Science can close in on an idea
and freeze out other possibilities and the emphasis on an amyloid may be too
strong and too early.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, Director, UCLA
Alzheimer’s Disease Center "Current therapies for patients with
Alzheimer’s may ease symptoms by providing temporary improvement and
reducing the rate of cognitive decline. Given the wide array of available
molecular targets and the rapid progress toward identifying potential
therapeutic compounds, the development of interventions that substantially
delay the onset or modify the progression of Alzheimer’s can be
anticipated."
