Fisher Center Scientists Discover Pathway That may Lead to Alzheimer's Disease
Apr 25, 2016, 03:01 ET
NEW YORK, April 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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."
About the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation
Led by President and CEO, Kent L. Karosen, the Foundation was established in 1995 by Zachary Fisher to primarily fund the work of the scientists at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research at The Rockefeller University. The Foundation has received the exceptional 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for the fifth consecutive year.
The Fisher Center at The Rockefeller University is one of the largest and most modern facilities in the world dedicated to solving the puzzle of Alzheimer's, and considered by many to be a prototype for Alzheimer's research. The Center is led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard, recipient of multiple awards and honors throughout his career, and includes a research team of over 50 world-renowned scientists. To learn more about the Fisher Center's innovative research, go to www.ALZinfo.org.
About The Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a world-renowned center for research and graduate education in the biomedical sciences, chemistry, bioinformatics and physics. The university's 76 laboratories conduct both clinical and basic research and study a diverse range of biological and biomedical problems with the mission of improving the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity.
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Contact:
Jaymie Arkin, Communications Manager, the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation
212-915-1322
[email protected]
SOURCE Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation