“New York, April 25, 2016 – Today, the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation is proud to announce they have funded two important new studies conducted by the Fisher Center scientists at The Rockefeller University, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard, in the quest to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
“‘As a result of the funding support we provide to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research at The Rockefeller University, the lab has identified a potential new way to improve Alzheimer’s symptoms and open new doors for potential Alzheimer’s treatments,’ said Kent L. Karosen, President/CEO Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. ‘The Rockefeller University Laboratory is on the cutting edge of science and we are pleased to fund their breakthrough research in an effort to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.’
“As published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, under the direction of Dr. Greengard and spearheaded by Dr. Marc Flajolet, they demonstrated through a complex set of imaging technologies and experiments, that an early trafficking protein pathway (COPI) affects APP, a protein that causes the development of Alzheimer’s. This discovery affirms the physiological relevance of this pathway in the progression of Alzheimer’s.
“By manipulating this pathway, Fisher Center scientists at The Rockefeller University further discovered that the moderation of COPI leads to a significant decrease in amyloid plaques, which contributes to memory loss and other symptoms from which patients with Alzheimer’s often suffer. The reduction of COPI resulted in some improvement of memory impairment.
“‘These findings are significant as they provide further explanation of the creation of amyloid plaques, a primary symptom of the disease, and that the manipulation of this pathway leads to improvement of some memory impairments, which can lead to future Alzheimer’s treatments that slow the progression of the disease,’ said Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard, Director of The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research. ‘It is because of the generous funding from the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation that we are able to conduct this research…” (Fisher Center Scientists Discover Pathway that May Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease).
In 2015, 15.9 million family and friends provided 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care to those with Alzheimer's and other dementias. That care had an estimated economic value of $221.3 billion:
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• 41 percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.
• On average, care contributors lose over $15,000 in annual income as a result of reducing or quitting work to meet the demands of caregiving.
Alzheimer's takes a devastating toll on caregivers. Nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high; about 40 percent suffer from depression. One in five care contributors cut back on their own doctor visits because of their care responsibilities. And, among caregivers, 74 percent report they are "somewhat" to "very" concerned about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver.
http://www.alz.org/facts/overview.asp