Improving Care & Pursuing Cures at the Rocky Mountain Alzheimer’s Disease Center
More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today, and that number is expected to increase to 16 million by 2050 unless significant progress is made in the development of ways to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s. This devastating disease is not just taking memories – it is taking the lives of those suffering from it, and it is consuming the lives of their loved ones. At the Rocky Mountain Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RMADC), we are working to change this future. By combining innovative research and world-class clinical care, we are improving lives James (Trey) Bateman, today and we are developing better preventive strategies and MD, MPH treatments for tomorrow. Our ultimate goal is to find a cure and Dr. Bateman completed to completely change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease. his residency in
neurology and is currently a behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry fellow, seeing patients in the clinic. He also researches emotional regulation and executive function after traumatic brain injury as well as the role of traumatic brain injury in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Luis D. Medina, PhD Dr. Medina is a neuropsychology fellow who assesses neurological patients in both English and Spanish. He specializes in cultural neuropsychology and in how cultural factors impact cognitive aging. Justin Persson, MD Dr. Persson completed his residency in neurology and is currently a behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry fellow, seeing patients in the clinic. His research and clinical interests include changes in brain function among patients with dementia and TBI.
Progress on Leukine® clinical trials
Our previous studies showed that the FDA-approved drug Leukine® quickly reduces amyloid deposits responsible for Alzheimer’s plaques and reverses cognitive impairment in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. We are closing in on completion of our Pilot Leukine® Safety Trial that is testing the safety of this drug in individuals with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. We have already found early signs of the drug’s positive effect on cognition and no safety issues, which we reported at the 2017 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London. Based on our results to date, the RMADC was awarded an Alzheimer’s Association ‘Part the Cloud’ grant to cover onefourth of a longer six-month Leukine® Safety/Efficacy trial. We will still need to raise approximately $3M to cover the full costs of the trial, but aim to launch in early 2018. Participants will receive injections (2/3 of participants will receive Leukine® and 1/3 will receive placebo) five days a week for six months, and they will then be monitored for an additional six months. Our goal is to determine whether Leukine® continues to be safe over a longer period of time, and also whether Leukine® clears amyloid plaques and/or improves cognition in hopes of moving this potential therapy closer to market.
Using a noninvasive approach to study sleep and cognition
Brice McConnell, MD, PhD, received funding to develop and evaluate two noninvasive methods of stimulating brain activity during slow wave sleep, when memories of the previous day’s experiences are made permanent. His goal is to try to reverse aging-related declines in sleep duration and quality as well as cognitive function in healthy adults, older adults, and patients with mild cognitive impairment. This promising research may one day lead to new methods for combatting age- and/or diseaserelated cognitive decline and allow researchers to better target the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Researching vision changes in Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome Victoria Pelak, MD, was awarded a grant to study changes in the eye and visual system in aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and Down syndrome. This research will deepen our understanding of changes that can occur in the eye as a potential sign of changes also occurring in the brain.
Looking Forward Over the next several years, we envision the RMADC becoming one of the premier Alzheimer’s research and care destinations in the United States. We plan to improve patient care by advancing our pipeline of new and repurposed drugs, and by expanding our knowledge of the Alzheimer’s disease process, including studying the connections between Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome. We also aim to offer life-changing care to increasing numbers of people living with Alzheimer’s by growing our clinical team and by adding key support resources for patients and families to help them navigate the difficult journey of this disease. Highlights of specific goals include: • increasing the number of patients served in the Memory Disorders Clinic by expanding our team of top-talent specialists
• starting at least two new clinical trials of Alzheimer’s drugs developed at the RMADC
• completing all phases of our two Leukine trials
• participating in industry-sponsored clinical trials to help advance potential new therapies and offer trial opportunities to more of our patients
• determining the mechanisms of chromosome mis-segregation in Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, and Down syndrome
• developing new support groups to serve individuals with atypical symptoms of Alzheimer’s
• identifying and developing at least three new drugs in the RMADC laboratories designed to prevent, stop, or reverse Alzheimer’s
• expanding our ability to serve people with Alzheimer’s and their families through the NeuroPalliative and Supportive Care Clinic, which offers supportive care and services from time of diagnosis through advanced Alzheimer’s
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Partnering to End Alzheimer’s Disease The speed of RMADC growth and progress in research and clinical care is directly tied to sustaining ongoing funding for high-priority projects and top talent. Private support is also critical to developing foundational data that will position us to attract competitive governmental and large-scale grant funding. We are thankful for our many generous benefactors who have already fueled our momentum.
Give to RMADC: Make checks payable to University of Colorado Foundation and note fund #222578 in the memo line or visit giving.cu.edu/alzheimers. Contact Carrie Radant Flynn if you have additional inquires at 303-724-9146 or carrie.radant@ucdenver.edu University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Mail Stop A065 13001 E. 17th Place Aurora, Colorado 80045